Lately, there have been many cases of people succumbing to heart attacks, especially in their sleep. It is not even a case of age, as this health problem is being seen among the younger population, too. What has been causing it? Earlier this year, the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association Amol Kale reportedly died in his sleep after suffering from a cardiac arrest. Doctors say that while heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrests are more common in the daytime, they are not uncommon during sleep hours either.
According to Dr Vivek Mahajan, consultant-interventional cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Kalyan, it is possible to save people’s lives by understanding certain crucial signs. He shared the case of a 50-year-old patient, who sought immediate medical attention when he noticed a few symptoms. “He was feeling uneasy while heading to work, and he rushed to a doctor where his ECG showed significant variation. He even had a fluctuating blood pressure. While at the clinic, he collapsed, and a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately administered. His medical reports confirmed that he had suffered a heart attack. Later, he underwent a coronary angiography followed by an emergency primary angioplasty, and recovered,” Dr Mahajan said.
He added that it is essential to understand the symptoms of a heart attack. “The importance of CPR as a life saving measure cannot be overemphasised.”
Heart Attacks During Sleep
According to the doctor, heart attacks during sleep may have similar premonitory symptoms like those that happen during the day. “While heart attacks and cardiac arrests during sleep are more common in elderly and sicker individuals, these things can happen to younger individuals, too.”
Some Signs To Watch Out For
The doctor said that some crucial signs of an impending heart attack include:
- Breathless during exertion
- Chest heaviness
- Excessive fatigability
- Excessive sweating
- Dizziness during exertion
“They may increase in frequency and intensity within weeks, days or hours, indicating blockages. Sometimes, such events may occur without warning signs. Cardiac arrest during sleep usually occurs in people with weak hearts, and they also may have warning signs like an episode of blackouts, or palpitations in the past,” the expert stated.
Factors Associated With Sleep
The doctor explained that there are normally two sleep phases: NREM (non-rapid eye movement) phase, where the muscle tone is relaxed, the blood pressure and pulse rates are low; and REM (rapid eye movement sleep) phase, where there is an increase in muscle tone, blood pressure and heart rate.
“Whether heart attacks are common in any one of these two sleep phases and whether these fluctuations in blood pressure and pulse contribute to heart attacks is a subject of research. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which has snoring and daytime drowsiness as symptoms, is increasingly being recognised in studies as a contributor towards heart attack and cardiac arrests during sleep,” Dr Mahajan warned.
How To Prevent This?
Ensure that you follow these things:
- Undergo timely screening. Doctors will look for a history of warning signs, family history, screening for high blood pressure, sugars, cholesterol levels and obesity.
- Get specific tests done, like ECG, 2D echocardiography, stress tests, computerised tomography (CT), coronary angiography, Holter tests, cardiac MRI, and genetic testing. These tests may be done depending on the risk profile of individual patients.