Stress, overeating or intense exercise could trigger heart attacks, a Taichung surgeon said.
Citing a recent case, Kuo Ta-chih (郭達智), the director of Kuang Tien General Hospital’s department of cardiovascular surgery, said that a 52-year-old man, surnamed Tseng (曾), was riding a bicycle uphill when he lost consciousness.
He has no recollection of what happened and only remembers leaving the house to exercise in the evening, Tseng said, adding that the next thing he knew, he was in the hospital.
Photo: Chang Hsuan-che, Taipei Times
Police told him a woman who was passing by performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on him before paramedics arrived and took over, he said.
The paramedics used an automated external defibrillator and he was sent to the hospital for emergency bypass surgery, he said, adding he is lucky to have survived the heart attack and sustained nearly no nerve damage.
Tseng said he wants to thank the stranger for her help, but police officers told him she did not leave her contact information, adding that they believe she was a nurse.
Tseng initially showed no signs of life after the heart attack, Kuo said.
Tseng had blockages of more than 70 percent at four points in his coronary arteries, he said, adding that blockages can be improved by implanting stents, but when a stent cannot be inserted due to the position of the blockage, bypass surgery is necessary.
While the majority of people know that cold weather can trigger a heart attack, they are less aware of the risks posed by high temperatures or entering and exiting air-conditioned spaces, Kuo said.
Other factors that could trigger heart attacks include fatigue, high levels of stress, excessive alcohol consumption, anxiety, intense amusement park rides and drug use, he said.
People with high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, should also avoid high-calorie meals, Kuo said.
Such meals can cause cholesterol levels to rise suddenly, blood viscosity to increase and blood flow to slow, potentially resulting in the formation of blood clots, which lead to heart attacks, he said.
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