"Heart diseases, the incidence of which increases with advancing age, now threatens the youth. Two-thirds of the causes of sudden death at early ages are caused by heart diseases. Smoking, malnutrition, obesity and intense stress are the main causes of heart diseases in young people. "Removing these risk factors and paying attention to some important points play a major role in preventing heart diseases. Associate Professor Dr. Sercan Okutucu from the Department of Cardiology gave information about the causes of sudden death in young people."Heart avoid heavy exercise if you have muscle thickening
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people under 30 years of age. It is also one of the most common causes of sudden death in athletes. In these diseases, there is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscles. The thickened heart muscle can prevent the heart from pumping blood or filling the heart. Sometimes there may be dangerous rhythm disturbances caused by thickened heart tissue. The diagnosis of this disease is easily made by ECG and echocardiography in most of the cases. In most of these cases, competitive sports and heavy exercises should be avoided. In some cases, pacemakers with a shocking feature may be required. There are also various interventional and surgical treatment methods for the thickened parts of the heart.
Rapid heartbeats that cause arrhythmias can cause sudden death
Long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome are inherited heart rhythm disorders that can lead to fast and irregular heartbeats. Rapid heartbeats that cause rhythm disturbances in your heart can cause fainting or even death. Most of these diseases are caused by various mutations in the sodium, potassium or calcium channels of the heart. Long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome can be diagnosed by ECG. In cases with a high risk of sudden death, a pacemaker with a shocking feature may be required.
Smoking is the most important risk factor
As a result of cardiovascular occlusion heart attack in youth is extremely rare. As with any age, the most important risk factor for heart attack at young ages is smoking. Familial severe cholesterol levels can also cause a heart attack at an early age. A heart attack may occur at an early age in cases where the coronary vessels, which normally run outside the heart, pass through the heart muscle and are called the heart muscle bridge, and in the presence of some coronary anomalies. There are other causes of sudden cardiac death in young people. One of these is structural abnormalities of the heart, such as congenital heart diseases and cardiac muscle abnormalities. Another cause of sudden death is myocarditis, that is, inflammation of the heart muscle. Concussion, which occurs as a result of a blow to the chest at the wrong time of the heart's electrical cycle, is also a rare cause of sudden cardiac death and can be seen in young people who play sports.
Health screening and early diagnosis are very important
Most of the sudden deaths seen in young people do not have any previous complaints, for this reason, health screening should be done especially in athletes. It is very important. But shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations and fainting can be a sign of heart disease. Another important clue is the family history of unexplained deaths before the age of 50. Sudden deaths can be prevented by early diagnosis and treatment of possible hidden heart diseases. If you are at risk of sudden cardiac death, your doctor may recommend that you avoid strenuous and strenuous sports. Depending on the underlying causes, medical or interventional treatments may be required to reduce the risk of sudden death.