can teenagers have heart attacks?

Hi,

It is very rare for teenagers to have heart attacks, but it is possible. There are multitude of conditions that can cause this. I will discuss two of the more common ones. The first involves a genetic mutation that makes the liver ineffective at removing cholesterol from the blood.  This leads to very high cholesterol levels that can damage coronary vessels at a young age. This can cause a heart attack as insufficient blood is delivered to the heart muscle.

The second cause involves a condition called hypertrophic cardiac myopathy. This means that the heart muscle actually grows too much so that the ventricles, or empty areas of the heart where the blood is pumped from, become very small.  As a result, the heart actually cannot pump enough blood, and a heart attack can result. This is frequently the cause of young athletes tragically dying while participating in sports.

If you have any concerns regarding this, you should consult your physician.

-HealthSupport