The most important and common causes of death in the world: heart attacks

 The most important and common causes of death in the world

Signs preceding heart attacks and strokes

A recent scientific study concluded by identifying the signs and precursors that precede heart attacks and strokes, which can make people be alert early to these conditions, which are considered one of the most important and common causes of death in the world.

The medical study, the results of which were published in the British newspaper The Independent, monitored many symptoms and signs that doctors found always precede heart attacks or strokes, which makes these signs extremely important and dangerous indicators and those who suffer from them should not ignore them.

According to the new study, warning signs that precede these attacks include high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol or glucose (blood sugar). Scientists said that almost all cases of heart attacks or strokes are preceded by these symptoms. Researchers from Yonsei University College in South Korea say that high blood pressure, cholesterol, or glucose, along with smoking, often precede these heart conditions, calling for increased attention to early detection and control of these modifiable risks.

In the new study, scientists evaluated the health records of more than 9 million people in South Korea and nearly 7,000 people in the United States, and followed their health for up to two decades. The researchers looked for the presence of 4 main risk factors before suffering a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure: high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, along with smoking.

Suboptimal levels of these factors include: previous tobacco use, blood pressure greater than 120/80 mm Hg, total cholesterol level greater than 200 mg/dL, fasting glucose level greater than 100 mg/dL, and a diagnosis of diabetes. The researchers also looked at higher levels of these high-risk factors, including blood pressure over 140/90, cholesterol level over 240, glucose levels over 126, and smoking.

They found that 99% of those who had a serious heart attack during the study had suboptimal levels of at least one of these risk factors, and 93% had two or more risk factors. “We think the study shows very convincingly that exposure to one or more suboptimal risk factors prior to these cardiovascular outcomes is close to 100%,” said study co-author Philip Greenland from Northwestern University in the US.

The goal now is to work harder on finding ways to control these modifiable risk factors, rather than going off track in search of other factors that are difficult to treat and are not causal. The researchers found that high blood pressure was the most common cause, affecting more than 95% of patients in South Korea and more than 93% in the United States.

Even among women under 60, the group often assumed to be at lowest risk, more than 95% had at least one of these factors before developing heart failure or stroke. The study found that at least 90% of patients had at least one major high-risk risk factor before their first heart attack.