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Surgeon reveals why silent heart attacks are scary, shares 4 key symptoms often missed: ‘Ask your doctor about…’
Preventive measures are crucial as silent heart attacks often go unnoticed, especially in individuals over 40 or with comorbidities.
Heart attacks can quietly sneak in. Some types of heart attack are not as pronounced as you might otherwise think. In a September 23 Instagram video, Dr Vass, a longevity doctor and MD trained at Cornell, revealed that not all heart attacks include a “dramatic collapse.” Indeed, we are often used to the depiction of a very loud heart attack with chest clenching or sharp pain in the chest. But sometimes, a heart attack can also be “silent.”
Describing what a silent heart attack is, Dr Vass shared its formal name: silent myocardial infarction. Who is most at risk of this type of heart attack? According to the surgeon, people with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and those with excess visceral fat are.
Why is silent heart attack scary?
Heart attacks, despite being alarming and potentially life-threatening, are a familiar topic these days. But what makes a silent heart attack scary? Even Dr Vass revealed one “scary part” about this condition.
He said, “Silent heart attacks leave behind scar tissue just like the big ones and that damage can increase your risk for a number of things, including heart failure, dangerous dysrhythmias and even sudden cardiac arrest, and because these silent heart attacks often go untreated, they may be more dangerous in the long term.”
The surgeon also cited a study published in from 2020. The findings demonstrate just how serious silent heart attacks can be. People who experience them face a threefold higher risk of dying from heart disease over the next 10 years. In other words, the complications are fatal.
What are the symptoms of silent heart attack?
Truly, this heart attack is silent because, as per the surgeon, it's ‘easy to miss.' Here are the symptoms he revealed:
- Unusual fatigue
- Mild, shortness of breath with minimal exertion
- Nausea or lightheadedness
- Sometimes discomfort in the jaw, upper neck or back.
What can you do to protect and prevent?
The gamechanger lies in the oldest saying of prevention is better than cure. While there are medical treatements, since this type of silent heart ttack is often easy to miss, it is important to follow precautions.
Dr Vass revealed that people over 40 are at the highest risk, along with those who have comorbidities such as high blood pressure, high fasting insulin, or a significant family history of heart disease.
To be safe, it is essential to monitor. Dr Vass suggested these preventive checks one can ask the doctor for to look for a silent heart attack. He added, “Ask your doctor about things like a resting ECG, a coronary calcium score or even better, a CCTA with Cleerly analysis, or even consider things like an echocardiogram and lab work that is usually not run with typical baseline labs, including high sensitivity CRP, APO Lipoprotein and Homocysteine and remember, never overlook the basics.”
Diet and exercise play a very important role in preventing and reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease.
Suggesting some of the positive lifestyle habits, Dr Vass said, “Eat a Mediterranean-style diet, emphasising olive oil, leafy greens and omega threes, get that zone 2 cardio in brisk walking or cycling for at least 150 minutes weekly. Try to target seven and a half to eight hours nightly and practice stress reduction.”
In the end, he cautioned that if one sees symptoms like shortness of breath, they should not take it lightly and see a doctor.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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