Heart Attacks Can Occur in Teenagers

Here is a scary thought - teenagers can have heart attacks and severe chest pain in teens should not be dismissed - like that would happen.

The recent issue of Pediatrics includes an article by two cardiologists from the Heart Center at Akron Children's Hospital about heart attacks in nine healthy teenagers, eight of whom were male.

These teens were all 12 to 20 years old, without any obvious risk factors and normal coronary arteries. All nine had abnormal cardiac enzyme levels, and three had abnormalities revealed in the echocardiogram. Tests for drug abuse, cholesterol levels, and blood coagulation rate were all negative.

Just a reminder - we can all help prevent heart attacks by avoiding nicotine, controlling blood pressure, not being overweight, controlling diabetes, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and exercising daily!

Photo credit: gandhiji40