As of: February 21, 2024, 5:00 p.m
By: Susanne Sasse
Comments
Press
Split
Tragic deaths like that of football legend Andi Brehme make it clear how important heart health is.
“Sport alone does not protect the heart,” warns Hamburg cardiologist Prof. Thomas Meinertz.
Heart specialists explain how to recognize the danger and protect yourself.
The shock over the sudden death of Andreas Brehme is deep.
How can it be that the heart of a seemingly healthy person suddenly stops beating?
“Often a heart attack appears to be a bolt from the blue, but in many cases it is announced beforehand undetected and one could take precautions,” says Munich cardiologist Prof. Heribert Schunkert, director of the Clinic for Heart and Circulatory Diseases at the
German Heart Center Munich
.
These are the risk factors
In most cases, a heart attack after the age of 50 is caused by a gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries due to deposits, says Prof. Schunkert: “This disease, also called coronary heart disease (CHD), particularly affects people with risk factors - the most important ones are a lipid metabolism disorder, i.e. too high (LDL) cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking.” Anyone over 50 years old who has risk factors should be checked by a cardiologist, advises Heart Foundation board member Prof. Schunkert.
Professor Heribert Schunkert is director of the clinic for adult cardiology at the German Heart Center in Munich.
© Jörg Müller
The danger often only becomes apparent very late
“The dangerous thing about these deposits in the coronary arteries is that those affected often only notice them very late - if at all,” adds his Hamburg colleague Prof. Thomas Meinertz from the scientific advisory board of the
German Heart Foundation
and explains: “Complaints such as: Chest tightness or shortness of breath only becomes noticeable when the narrowing of the blood vessels has already reached critical dimensions.”
Don't miss out: You can find everything about health in the newsletter of our partner 24vita.de.
Disaster can occur within minutes
From a medical perspective, the most important finding about tragic deaths like Andreas Brehme's is, according to Prof. Meinertz: "Sport alone, even competitive sport, does not protect the heart from heart attack or sudden cardiac death." Because exercise, as important as it is as a lifestyle measure , provides only limited protection against deposits, so-called plaques.
If the plaque completely blocks a coronary artery or if the plaque suddenly breaks open, a clot forms within a few minutes that blocks the artery and a heart attack occurs, the cardiologist explains the danger.
My news
Reduce belly fat: If you know one rule, you are guaranteed to read your stomach
According to experts, up to five kilos of weight loss per week should be possible - with intermittent fasting
Influenza illness: How long does it last in an adult?read
Slim overnight?
Certain types of tea are said to reduce belly fat while you sleep
Detoxification patches for feet: Detox miracle cure or rather a rip-off?read
Pantoprazole for heartburn: Why you should switch to alternatives read
When performing chest compressions, you need to act quickly.
(Symbolic image) © Jan Woitas/dpa
This is how chest compressions work
In an emergency, every minute counts when it comes to a heart attack - because it can turn into life-threatening ventricular fibrillation at any time, which can lead to cardiac arrest within a few seconds and death without medical help.
Often the affected person can no longer be resuscitated, as was the case with Andi Brehme.
“If you have a heart attack, you should call the emergency services (112) immediately.
If cardiac arrest occurs, cardiac massage must be started immediately and continued until the emergency doctor arrives," emphasizes Prof. Schunkert and explains that there is little that can be done wrong with cardiac massage: "The heart valves ensure that the blood flows in flows in the right direction - thanks to cardiac massage, a person affected can be kept alive for five to ten minutes without any damage being left behind." And if a rib breaks as a result of the compression of the cutaneous artery of the heart, this is not considered malpractice, the expert clarifies : “Here it is very clear that it is better to be alive with a broken rib than dead.”
The dangers of sudden cardiac death
Sudden cardiac death can also be preceded by undetected narrowing of the coronary arteries, also known as coronary heart disease (CHD).
This is the cause in around 80 percent of those who die of sudden cardiac death, explains Prof. Schunkert, who is also deputy chairman of the German Heart Foundation.
Around 65,000 people in Germany die of sudden cardiac death every year - meaning they appear to be healthy the day before.
Narrowing of the coronary arteries costs the lives of around 121,000 people in Germany.
At the same time, CHD is the most common reason for hospitalization with over 552,000 inpatient admissions every year.
Those who have the risk factors under control are hardly at a higher risk than people without risk factors
All risk factors - apart from age and genetics - can be easily influenced with medication and lifestyle measures, especially high blood pressure, diabetes, lipid metabolism disorders such as high LDL cholesterol and obesity, says cardiologist Prof. Dr.
med.
Thomas Voigtländer, CEO of the
German Heart Foundation
, is clear: “We must ensure that coronary heart disease and its risk factors are recognized and treated earlier.” The immediate trigger of sudden cardiac death is almost always a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia, which is the result of heart disease which leads to circulatory arrest within a few minutes and causes the heart to stop.
If CHD is recognized early and treated consistently, the risk of dying from sudden cardiac death is significantly lower – “almost as low as that of patients without CHD”.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about medical conditions.