Average Age for a Heart Attack May Be Younger Than You Think

While a heart attack can occur at any age depending on underlying risk factors, most people assume that they strike mostly older adults. The average age at the first heart attack is 65 years for males and 72 years for females, according to the latest data from the American Heart Association (AHA). Heart disease is still the No.1 killer of both males and females in the U.S. 

For many people, a heart attack is the first sign of heart disease. That’s why it’s important to take steps to reduce your risk and prevent disease as early as possible.

With diabetes and obesity — two major risk factors for heart disease —on the rise among young adults in the U.S., the rates of heart attacks have been on the rise as well among adults younger than 65. Clinical studies are finding that more young adults are experiencing heart problems compared to decades past, a trend primarily fueled by poor lifestyle habits — including unhealthy diets and lack of exercise.

Preventive cardiology is a subspecialty that is widespread and becoming more necessary as rates of obesity and diabetes continue to climb nationwide.

“Preventive cardiology is very important because many discussions with patients can involve nonmedical interventions,” explains Patrick Azcarate, M.D., a cardiologist with Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. “I spend time speaking with them and getting the nitty-gritty about their dietary modifications and exercise routines. There are so many things that patients can do in their day-to-day span where they can fix that problem themselves without medications.”

Patrick Azcarate, M.D., cardiologist at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute.

 

Cardiovascular disease caused 375,476 deaths in 2021, based on the latest statistics from the AHA. From 2005 to 2014, the estimated annual incidence of heart attack in the U.S. was 605,000 new attacks and 200,000 recurrent attacks.

About every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. will have a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. From 2011 to 2021, the annual death rate attributable to coronary heart disease declined 15 percent, and the actual number of deaths increased .05 percent.

The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is unique to the South Florida region. The program brings together a multidisciplinary team of board-certified cardiologists, lipid specialists and advanced practice providers. It is designed to make prevention of cardiovascular disease as convenient as possible by providing access to leading-edge diagnostic technologies and disease-specific prevention programs

If you have one or more of the following, you should see a preventive cardiologist:

• Family history of heart disease, stroke, or sudden death;
• Presence of abnormal calcium on mammogram, CT scan, or X-ray;
• History of breast cancer;
• High cholesterol;
• High blood pressure;
• Rheumatologic conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis).
• Diabetes or pre-diabetes
• History of preeclampsia, eclampsia, or pregnancy-related diabetes
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Learn how to prevent cardiovascular disease. 

“Life’s Essential 8” list from the American Heart Association offers a formula from optimal heart health at any age. 

1. Eat Better: Aim for an overall healthy eating pattern that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and cooking in non-tropical oils such as olive and canola.

2. Be More Active: Adults should get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Kids should have 60 minutes every day, including play and structured activities.

3. Quit Tobacco: Use of inhaled nicotine delivery products, which includes traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping, is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., including about a third of all deaths from heart disease. And about a third of U.S. children ages 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke or vaping.

4. Get Healthy Sleep: Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Children require more: 10-16 hours for ages 5 and younger, including naps; 9-12 hours for ages 6-12; and 8-10 hours for ages 13-18. Adequate sleep promotes healing, improves brain function and reduces the risk for chronic diseases.

5. Manage Weight: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits. Body mass index, a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height, is a useful gauge. Optimal BMI is 25. You can calculate it online or consult a health care professional.

6. Control Cholesterol: High levels of non-HDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Your health care professional can consider non-HDL cholesterol as the preferred number to monitor, rather than total cholesterol, because it can be measured without fasting beforehand and is reliably calculated among all people.

7. Manage Blood Sugar: Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use as energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. As part of testing, monitoring hemoglobin A1c can better reflect long-term control in people with diabetes or prediabetes.

8. Manage Blood Pressure: Keeping your blood pressure within acceptable ranges can keep you healthier longer. Levels less than 120/80 mm Hg are optimal. High blood pressure is defined as 130-139 mm Hg systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) or 80-89 mm Hg diastolic pressure (bottom number).