Can you get a heart attack even if you're not overweight?

Yes it most certainly is.

There are other risk factors besides being overweight.

Early menopause - as estrogen is protective

Family History - the younger your family members are when they have one the more at risk you are

Smoking - this is a modifiable risk factor.. stop

Cholesterol - even skinny people have high cholesterol

Triglyerides - even skinny people have high triglyerides

Sleep apnea - even the skinny have this as well

First let's define heart attack. There is the "typical" heart attack that the 60 year old business exec who suddenly dies. This sort of heart attacks happens over many years of building up plaque in the lining of the artery. The plaques either get large enough that they rupture or they break off and block a smaller vessel or the finally occlude the whole vessel (which is a very slow process - over decades). This is what is usually referred to as heart disease.

Now all of the respondants that report children and teenagers suddenly dying, are NOT talking about this sort of heart attack. Typically children and teens were born with some sort of a problem with the electricity or the valves or both. It is rare to happen. That's why everyone is not screened on a routine basis. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

There are risk factors that we use to evaluate patients and decide if it is likely they might be at risk for heart disease. Cigarrette smoking, diabetes, family history (heart attacks before age 50), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and advanced age (greater than 75) and are among them. Obesity is probably the next on the list - mostly because it implies that the person doesn't get out and move very much or that they have or are prone to diabetes. As you see obesity did not even make the top tier of risk factors to consider heart disease.

So the short answer to your question. Being overweight is not a particularly strong indicator that you are likely to died of a heart attack. Further young people dying suddenly are from an entirely different sort of problem than from a older person dying of a heart attack prompted by heart disease.

Good luck.

Yes you can, you could do everything right and still have heart attacks. There have been several young people as well as children that have had them. Genetics plays a role as well. In women especially its more difficult to tell because not always does the pain run down the left arm but, could generate across the bra strap area. If you would like more info. I suggest you take a health care provider level of CPR course the heart save don't go to much into detail.

Sounds to me like you should ask your cardiologist to perform a cardio-catherization to determine if your arteries, leading to your heart, and your heart itself, is in good shape, no clogging that would restrict even flow of the blood. Last time I had one, there were seven other patients that had one the same day. None of us had a problem that needed any attention. At first knowing this, I was thinking that these doctors just do this sort of procedure to make money to pay for their expensive lifestyle. Then, after I settled down and thought about it, I realized how much better off I was with the knowledge that I really had no problem. If I had not had the medical test, I would still be sitting here wondering if I was at risk. Oh well, or so it seems to me.

Yes it is possible to have a heart attack at any age. Some factors are ...genetics (a history of heart disease in your family...parents grandparents aunts, uncles, siblings etc...blood relatives only not thru marriage). High cholesterol levels, bad diet, smoking, obesity, age. Sometimes you can control the risk factors and sometimes you cannot. Like for example if you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease all you can do is try your best to stay healthy and hope for the best. If you are a smoker or you eat high fat foods...you can control that by stopping smoking and eating a better diet.

My husband died less than a year ago at the age of 44 from sudden cardiac arrest. He was 5' 9" and weighed only 150 lbs. and never showed any symptoms of heart disease-which upon autopsy we found out he had 2 forms of hereditary heart disease. He had not been to a doctor in 20 years. He worked every day of his life but due to traveling in his job he did not exercise or eat right. Always get a yearly checkup.

yes, family history has a lot to do with it. Even if you do everything right. Young pople are known to die of Sudden Death Syndrome more often then you can imagine.

There are 11 major causes of unexpected cardiac death in the young. These conditions include thickening of the heart muscle and irregularities of the electrical impulses, which upset the rhythm of the heart.

If you are concerned about your health, go for a good check-up and put your mind at ease.

You can definitely get a heart attack even if you'r enot overweight and are relitively young. I know of a man in his 40's that dropped dead from heart failure while doing his daily job in the morning and he was not overweight.

My suggestion if you are worried about a heart condition that runs in your family is to consult your doctor and try to have your heart thoughouly examined by a cardiologist.

Anyone can get a heart attack - including children, and underweight people. I knew someone who got a physical one morning for work - got to work, then died of a heart attack (same day). He was in his 30s and ate properly, exercised, and was neither under nor overweight.

Yes. My friend had a heart attack and he wasn't overweight at all. And he was only like 19 when this happened to him. Doctors didn't know what caused it. But he had one.

Everyone on this website is a complete moron. They all write "OMG, yeah, you'll have a heart attack next week!!" Yeah, it's possible, but it's not likely. I wouldn't worry, heart attacks don't usually come out of nowhere-- and even if they do, there's really not much you can do to prevent it.

Good luck.