A new study from the Mayo Clinic is shedding light on the growing incidence of heart attacks among young adults, emphasizing nontraditional causes such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).
SCAD occurs when an artery in the heart suddenly tears or blood collects around the artery, triggering a heart attack without the presence of cholesterol buildup.
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The condition disproportionately affects women, occurring nearly six times more often in women than men, and frequently impacts younger, otherwise healthy women.
“There are different types of heart attack and nontraditional heart attacks that can affect younger people,” said Dr. Claire Raphael, the study’s first author and an interventional cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic.
Raphael added that SCAD accounts for 1 in 10 heart attacks in women under 65. While intense physical activity can sometimes trigger SCAD, the condition can also occur without warning.
The study’s authors aim to raise awareness of these less recognized causes of heart attacks, which can happen in the absence of high cholesterol or other traditional risk factors.
Raphael stressed the importance of recognizing symptoms promptly to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.
