What Causes Cardiac Arrest?

You might ponder over what causes cardiac arrest given the increasingly high occurrence rate of this condition. Cardiac arrest, also called a myocardial infarction, is known as a heart attack in non-technical terminology and is said to occur when heart muscles fail to beat in a coordinated manner. The article below will run by you the main causes of cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is caused as a result of some preliminary diseases and conditions that in turn are caused by a few factors. Keep in mind that the factors below only increase the likely hood of a cardiac arrest and that the probability of occurrence is different for every individual. The three basic causes of a cardiac arrest are, Coronary heart disease, smoking and obesity.

Coronary Heart Disease is an ailment that affects the health of the coronary arteries in the heart. The heart is a bag of cardiac muscles and like all muscles; it too requires a supply of oxygen and nutrients. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that do this job perfectly. Coronary heart disease occurs when these arteries become clogged and muscles cells die which may lead to abnormal heart rhythm; a characteristic of cardiac arrest.

Smoking has always been a factor that leads to a number of diseases and conditions. Cigarette smoke contains some harmful chemicals that on entering the body disrupt the normal chemical reactions going on. Chemicals in cigarette smoke lead to increased chances of arterial blockage and decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This not only pressurizes the heart to beat harder but also increases the chances of coronary heart disease. Both the latter and the former can lead to cardiac arrest.

Obesity is characterized by an increased body mass and a high cholesterol level. The former stimulates the heart to pump the blood harder so that it can reach all the cells in the body and the latter increases the chances of coronary heart diseases. Both these factors stress the heart so that the chances of a person undergoing cardiac arrest increase.