What causes young people to die of a heart attack? - Walla! health

2021-07-01T22:50:02.990Z

The death of Sharon Asman, broke the hearts of many, and raised the painful question - what causes such a sudden and rapid death of young people. A doctor explains what cardiac arrest is and what the risk factors are

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What causes young people to die of a heart attack?

The death of the commander of the Nahal Brigade, Col. Sharon Asman, broke the hearts of many, and raised the painful question - what causes such a sudden and rapid death of young people.

A doctor explains what cardiac arrest is and what the risk factors are

Without warning: What causes the heart to stop suddenly?

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Usually in such cases of sudden death at a young age it is cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is a sudden cessation of cardiac activity and collapse of the (hemodynamic) circulatory system.

Cardiac arrest is relatively common, causing about 15 percent of deaths in industrialized countries, although small studies show slightly lower numbers.

This is in any case the most common cause of death in the Western world.

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Despite the impression that sudden death in young people is also common, in practice the phenomenon is relatively rare but very dramatic in its appearance, so we all remember at least one media event related to sudden death in young people, especially athletes and people engaged in physical activity (working long hours or doing strenuous work).

Only about three weeks ago, Christian Eriksen, the star of the Danish national team in the Euro tournament, collapsed, and fortunately he underwent a successful resuscitation that led to his recovery.

A relatively rare phenomenon, although we hear about it quite a bit.

Defibrillator (Photo: ShutterStock)

What are the risk factors for cardiac arrest?

There are several factors that can cause cardiac arrest, but the most common is arrhythmia of the heart chambers.

The risk of this increases in cases of disruption of the blood supply to the heart itself or structural changes of the heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - thickening of the heart muscle).

Other risk factors associated with cardiac arrest are extreme stress, mental or physical, which causes an abnormal increase in heart rate especially in people with an underlying heart problem.

How to prevent cardiac arrest?

Many causes can lead to sudden death, but since most of them are inherited it is very important to check family history in order to identify people at risk.

Also people with a history of unexplained fainting should undergo an orderly medical examination that includes a cardiac examination of the structure and activity of the heart.

How is cardiac arrest treated?

Since cardiac arrest is a sudden event that usually manifests itself in a rapid loss of consciousness, it is important to identify quickly and especially to treat cases of cardiac arrest quickly.

Immediate reporting to MDA and waiting for instructions over the phone is the first step, in parallel with a quick start of massages at a rate of 100 clicks per minute. If it is a public place, it is important to ask another person to bring a defibrillator. It should be done so that everyone can help save lives through them.