What is Silent Heart Attack, Causes and Prevention

As the name suggests – In a silent heart attack a person do not feel any symptoms or feel very mild symptoms of a heart attack or when a person don’t understand the symptoms or overlook the symptoms of a heart attack. A silent heart attack can cause critical damage to our heart or can cause fatality as well. There is about 25% cases are of silent heart attack in all heart attacks. It means 1 in every 4 heart attack is a silent heart attack.

Causes of Silent Heart Attack

The causes of silent heart attack are the same as the causes or risk factor of Coronary Artery Disease or Causes of Heart Attack. But the prime cause is Diabetes. We will list out causes one by one.

1. Diabetes – The persons with prolonged history of diabetes usually gets silent heart attacks if they develop coronary artery disease. The reason being, over a period of time diabetes cause damage to our nerve cells and our pain receptor become inactive and if a person with prolonged history of diabetes develops significant heart blockages in the heart arteries, he / she feels less pain / symptoms or feels no pain / symptoms of angina and even in a heart attack very mild or no symptoms appears. This is the main cause why silent heart attacks causes severe damage to our heart. Diabetes is the prime cause of silent heart attack.

• High level of Lipids (High Cholesterol / Triglycerides) – When these fat molecules become excess in our blood, they start depositing in our heart arteries and cause heart disease.

• Stress and Anxiety

• Family History of Heart Disease / Genetics

• Hypertension / High Blood Pressure

• Obesity

• Smoking

• Alcohol

• Unhealthy Life Style

How to prevent / Avoid a Silent Heart Attack –

1. Preventive Health Check-up- After the age of 25-30 years we must go for some medical tests on preventive basis like Lipid Profile, HbA1C, CBC, LFT, RFT Vit D3, Vit B12 once in every year.

Persons who have family history of heart disease or diabetes must go for preventive heart check-up after the age of 25 years on an interval of 6 months to 1 year. The check-up must include medical tests – Lipid Profile, HbA1C, CBC, RFT, LFT, 2-D Echo Cardiogram, TMT. Consult the doctor if the parameters are abnormal.

• Keep Stress Under Control

• Keeps Lipids Under Control –   Avoid Fatty foods, cut down non vegetarian foods, oil and ghee consumption and also reduce milk consumption.

• Make Walk a Habit – Do 45 minutes of walk at least 6 days in a week.

• Quit Smoking and Alcohol

• Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control

• Do Yoga and Meditations regularly

• Have a Healthy Diet

• Take Time for Yourself

A silent heart attack is more lethal than a heart attack so always keep in mind – Prevention is always better than cure.

Save Yourself and Your Loved Once 

Written by: Dr. Chetan Sharma

EECP Specialist, Heart & Lifestyle Expert

Supported by Mr. Abhijeet Gautam