While cardiac conditions most commonly impact people later in life, they can also affect babies and children with congenital heart conditions, as well as teenagers and young adults. Family history can also create heart complications that appear early in life and may be exacerbated by factors like inactivity, obesity, poor diet and stress.
“Many children have fatty streaks in the walls of the heart blood vessels, which is common, but our environment, early onset of known risk factors, genetics and stress can contribute to the development of cardiac complications sooner versus later in life,” said Sheila E. Woodhouse MD, medical director of Cardiology, ambulatory division at University of Maryland Capital Region Health. “Habits around the table or on the playground can lay the tracks for future events. The more tracks that are laid, the sooner young people arrive in my office.”
A Timeline of Complications
Throughout life, the risk of cardiac events is affected by different factors. “Cardiac and vascular disease does not discriminate by age,” Dr. Woodhouse said. “It just looks different for everyone depending on a number of factors such as gender, age and medical history. That is why it is so important to treat all patients in a personalized way.”
Common causes of heart complications at different ages include:
Children
Pediatric heart complications can begin in utero and manifest as critical congenital heart defects (CHDs) in newborns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 7,200 babies in the United States are born with critical CHDs and require medical interventions, including surgeries, during their first year of life. The University of Maryland Children’s Hospital excels in this specialized form of care. In 2020, U.S. News & World Report named them one of the best children’s hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery in the nation for the third consecutive year.
Teenagers
Sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the heart suddenly stops beating, can occur at any age, and many young people and athletes can experience a sudden loss of consciousness due to a heart muscle problem. Sudden cardiac arrest can be fatal and causes an estimated 2,000 deaths in people younger than age 25 in the U.S. every year. Stimulant medications and energy drinks with high amounts of caffeine may be associated with an irregular heartbeat and aggravate the heart muscle. The environment can also to contribute to sudden cardiac arrest.
College-Age
These individuals may experience palpitations associated with poor diet and stress. Young women may also faint due to low blood pressure or have a fast heartbeat that will contribute to the faint feeling.
20s
Those with a strong family history of high blood pressure and those who are less active, obese or who have a poor diet may begin to set the stage for hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
30s
During this decade, many young adults are busy with families and careers, causing them to be less active, eat more fast food and be more stressed. Weight may increase during this stage of life, so following healthy habits is critical to reduce risk of cardiac complications associated with obesity. Women in this age group represent a unique subset due to the risk associated with cardiac obstetric patients. For example, those who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy are also at higher risk for heart disease during and around the time of delivery as well as later in life.
40s
At this age, some individuals may have early presentation of heart disease brought on by environmental factors and family history of heart and vascular disease.
50s
This is the stage of life when heart complications become more common. People also tend to keep heart conditions top-of-mind. Some of the conditions experienced during these years include congestive heart failure, dilated aorta, heart valve problems, irregular rhythms, heart attacks and hypertension.
Categorizing Risk Factors for Cardiac Events
According to Dr. Woodhouse, risk factors that increase your likelihood for events such as heart attack may be divided into a handful of categories:
- Traditional risk factors: These include diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, inactivity, obesity, and smoking.
- Emerging nontraditional risks for women: These include autoimmune disorders, breast cancer treatment, depression, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, and preterm delivery.
- Other risk enhancers: In 2019, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association included risk enhancer such as chronic inflammatory states, which can include lupus, chronic kidney disease, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in men younger than age 55 and women younger than age 65, history of early menopause before the age of 40, and metabolic syndrome to name a few.
Typical warning signs of an impending heart attack include chest pain, discomfort or tingling in the arms, back, jaw or neck and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms include cold sweats, dizziness, heartburn, nausea, unusual tiredness, vomiting and feeling that something is not right. Heart attack symptoms can be different for women.
How to Take Control of Heart Health
While you can’t change certain risk factors for heart complications, such as age and family history, you can reduce the likelihood of cardiac events by making healthy lifestyle choices and proactively seeking care to discuss your risk and concerns.
Scheduling an appointment with a cardiologist at a University of Maryland Medical System facility is a powerful and proactive first step to take. These specialists are trained to diagnose and manage a variety of cardiac conditions in children and adults.
They can also help you follow the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7®, which encourages you to:
- Manage blood pressure
- Control cholesterol
- Reduce blood sugar
- Get active
- Eat better
- Lose weight
- Stop smoking
“We want patients in our community to be as passionate and informed about their health and wellness as we are,” Dr. Woodhouse said. “Our cardiology team wants to be their partners in prevention, diagnosis, management and ongoing care. Our goal is to establish health care relationships with each and every person to enhance outcomes and provide support. I walk side by side with my patients, not in front of them.”
