Can a 15 year old have a Heart Attack?
I know this might be a really ridiculous question, but I recently had some sort of anxiety/panic attack (chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc.) and ever since that I had some sort of fear of having a heart attack.
Again I know it’s pretty ridiculous. Anways, I’m 15 years old, I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs (of course). I am overweight, but I play lots of sports. I occasionally eat fast food when I need to eat a quick dinner or something, but not often. I usually eat homemade meals mostly healthy.
I know I can’t get a heart attack, but my family has a record of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and I think Heart Problems. All I was wondering was if it was possible for me to get a heart attack at my age. I was also wondering if you guys have any advice for those anxiety/panic attacks.
Thanks! 
Please do a complete read! its highly recommended.
Some Early Signs Of The Heart Trouble
It has been said earlier that any disturbance in the supply of blood to heart muscle leads to its functional impairment.
It will be useful to discuss here such factors, which may lead to disturbances in the supply of blood to heart muscles. Certain conditions increase the strains on the heart. Among these are lack of rest, over exertion or prolonged hard labor which create an excessive body demand for oxygen that the heart, muscle must supply through pumping more blood. If the blood vessels are inelastic on account of arteriosclerosis fibrous thickening or narrowing of passage (atherosclerosis) additional work on the part of the heart will be needed to push blood through these vessels. Other indirect factors that may result in causing disturbance in blood supply are indigestion of food, anger and other emotional excitements.
There are some early symptoms, which may be important to watch for. Their appearance calls for a visit to the doctor for a check up. The symptoms are:
1. Dizzy spell or fainting fits
2. Discomfort following meals, especially if long continued.
3. Shortness of breath, after slight exertion.
4. Fatigue with out otherwise explained origin.
5. Pain or tightness in the chest a common sign of coronary insufficiency is usually constrictive in nature and is located behind the chest bone with radiation into the arms or a sense of numbness or a severe pain in the center of the chest
6. Palpitation
Some causative factors of heart trouble
Heart disease has been more frequently found in certain persons who show peculiar personality physical and mental traits. It will therefore, be worthwhile to discuss these factors. Coronary heart disease is considered to have multiple causative factors i.e., no one single factor perhaps could be identified as one causing a heart attack.
1. Heredity – There is ample evidence to show that incidence of heart disease is more in persons whose direct predecessors like fathers, grandfathers, mothers, brothers have suffered from similar disease. Coronary artery disease is found to run mainly in families. A strong family history of the disease is important in diagnosis.
2. Stress- Heart disease has often been identified with certain personality patterns. It is labelled as personality disease or a high executive disease, that is, it strikes persons with a certain personality. A certain study has shown that there was four times as much coronary disease among aggressive type of individuals.
In addition to this other factors such as family responsibilities, interpersonal relationship, financial worries, leisure interests, habits of eating drinking and smoking etc. may play a part that may effect one’s heart.
3. Smoking – It has been found by some workers that death rate among those who had heart attack was 50-150 percent higher in those who were heavy cigarette smoker than non-smokers.
Physical Exercise – There is a fairly general trend towards encouraging regular physical effort of a kind suited to age and condition of the person concerned. As a preventive as well as a remedial measure exercise is of great importance. There is abundant evidence to suggest that a stressful sedentary life without much exercise provides a situation fraught with coronary danger. Death rate from coronary heart disease is lower among those who do strenuous physical work.
Even for patients, who have survived coronary attacks, there has lately been a change in the thinking in marked contrast in earlier ideas. The doctors are now a day advocating, after the initial prescribed rest, walking up the stairs, going on hikes, bicycles and other forms of exercise. The quantum of exercise in each case must of course be decided by the attending physician.
4. Diet and obesity – Certain studies have shown 50 percent increase in heart attacks in employees who were over weight similarly diet and amount of fat are matter of vital importance in incidence of heart disease. The sound advice which could be given is to lead a life of moderation in matter of diet and activity an also to avoid obesity. Large fatty meals and strenuous exercise after them is not conducive to a healthy heart.
Saturated fats are likely of animal origin like whole milk, cream, butter, cheese meat, fat, etc. They raise blood cholesterol level. On the other hand unsaturated fats are of vegetable origin and they tend to lower blood cholesterol levels like maize oil, cottonseed oil sunflower oil and fat of fish.
Comments
Comment from Daniel F
Time January 17, 2010 at 11:15 am
maybe.
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Comment from fishum90
Time January 17, 2010 at 11:57 am
yes one of my friends daughter was born with a weak heart and she can’t even see a dentist or she might die from a heart attack when they work on her teeth
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Comment from Chris J.
Time January 17, 2010 at 12:11 pm
It is very unlikely. It is probably the anxiety that is giving you symptoms so you need to find a way to relax. If you are seriously overweight/obese, it could be a risk. If you are 10-20 pounds too heavy, probably not.
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Comment from BubbleGum
Time January 17, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Yes, it’s possible. My friend had a heart attack when he was 14 years old 
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Comment from x..Audrie.X
Time January 17, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its rare but a baby could, a 3 year old could, 5 year old a 15 year old could too!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ask Your Docta!!
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Comment from Ty
Time January 17, 2010 at 1:28 pm
not probable, but possible.
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Comment from vavavOOm
Time January 17, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Tell your doctor its important.
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Comment from Artie B
Time January 17, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Several years ago the girl across the street from me, Tracy, collapsed and died from a heart attack. She was 14. Two years later her brother died at age 17 of a heart attack. It can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time.
To ease your mind, go to the doctor and have your ticker checked. I’d bat you’re perfectly fine, but if it would ease your mind, than do it.
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Comment from Jason C
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:16 pm
no but they can damn well sure be an idiot
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Comment from Ilana G
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:22 pm
yes
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Comment from macstu23
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Yes. Anyone can have a heart attack, though it’s extremely rare at any age below the 30′s. Usually if someone of a young age suffers a heart attack, it’s because there were already serious heart defects present since birth. If you’re at all worried about it, then speak to your Doctor. He’ll give you a check-up and put your mind at ease.
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Comment from GreyGooseLovin’Writer
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:52 pm
It is very possible to have a heart attack at 15. A good friend of mine had her first heart attack at 7 and it wasn’t even brought on by anything. But from what you described, it sounds more like a mini- panic attack (I have those during all sorts of awkward social situations). If you’re really all that concerned, ask a doctor. I absolutely doubt it’s a heart attack, though.
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Comment from augi_<13>
Time January 17, 2010 at 3:58 pm
weight can affect your heart condition and yes anyone can have a heart attack.
but as long as u exercise correctly and eat a healthy diet u should be OK
and the panik attack How did it happen?
if u think ur about to get one u should try to calm yourself, try finding some technique or go to a doctor so he prescribes medicine
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Comment from Eragon Potter
Time January 17, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Given that you are overweight, and your family background, I think it might be possible. There are reports of people as young as 16 going into Cardiac Arrest. However, I don’t think that’s your case given your living style. You might have some heart problems such as a heart murmer (irregular heart beat, I have one but it doesn’t affect my really). You might want to get yourself checked out for one of those, and also talk to your doctor about the anxiety/panic attacks. Stress is a factor in heart attacks, so keep that in mind. Hope you get better 
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Comment from rookgaroo
Time January 17, 2010 at 5:08 pm
A newborn baby could have a heart attack. Age isn’t the deciding factor. Have a doctor check you out. It’s probably anxiety or something benign, but play it safe. There is medication you can take for anxiety.
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Comment from evil_kandykid
Time January 17, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Its possible, but very, very, very unlikely. For a 15 year old to have a heart attack they’d have to be very unhealthy already. I’d say you have nothing to worry about. Panic attacks are very scary, and you do feel like you are dying, but you are not.
Personally what would worry me is why a 15 year old is having a panic attack in the first place. Do you have a stressful life? Are you always busy? You need to talk to people, and try not to get as stressed. Learn to recognize your stresser’s and if possible eliminate them. If you cannot, learn to deal with them in a healthier way. Talk to parents, older family members, teachers, family friends, your doctor, anybody to get the things out, so they don’t build up inside.
On a side note, if you know certain illnesses run in your family, the younger you are when you make life changes, the less likely you will be to get them. Keep up with healthy habbits, and get regular checkups, and you’ll be fine.
References :
Comment from nizme
Time January 17, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Please do a complete read! its highly recommended.
Some Early Signs Of The Heart Trouble
It has been said earlier that any disturbance in the supply of blood to heart muscle leads to its functional impairment.
It will be useful to discuss here such factors, which may lead to disturbances in the supply of blood to heart muscles. Certain conditions increase the strains on the heart. Among these are lack of rest, over exertion or prolonged hard labor which create an excessive body demand for oxygen that the heart, muscle must supply through pumping more blood. If the blood vessels are inelastic on account of arteriosclerosis fibrous thickening or narrowing of passage (atherosclerosis) additional work on the part of the heart will be needed to push blood through these vessels. Other indirect factors that may result in causing disturbance in blood supply are indigestion of food, anger and other emotional excitements.
There are some early symptoms, which may be important to watch for. Their appearance calls for a visit to the doctor for a check up. The symptoms are:
1. Dizzy spell or fainting fits
2. Discomfort following meals, especially if long continued.
3. Shortness of breath, after slight exertion.
4. Fatigue with out otherwise explained origin.
5. Pain or tightness in the chest a common sign of coronary insufficiency is usually constrictive in nature and is located behind the chest bone with radiation into the arms or a sense of numbness or a severe pain in the center of the chest
6. Palpitation
Some causative factors of heart trouble
Heart disease has been more frequently found in certain persons who show peculiar personality physical and mental traits. It will therefore, be worthwhile to discuss these factors. Coronary heart disease is considered to have multiple causative factors i.e., no one single factor perhaps could be identified as one causing a heart attack.
1. Heredity – There is ample evidence to show that incidence of heart disease is more in persons whose direct predecessors like fathers, grandfathers, mothers, brothers have suffered from similar disease. Coronary artery disease is found to run mainly in families. A strong family history of the disease is important in diagnosis.
2. Stress- Heart disease has often been identified with certain personality patterns. It is labelled as personality disease or a high executive disease, that is, it strikes persons with a certain personality. A certain study has shown that there was four times as much coronary disease among aggressive type of individuals.
In addition to this other factors such as family responsibilities, interpersonal relationship, financial worries, leisure interests, habits of eating drinking and smoking etc. may play a part that may effect one’s heart.
3. Smoking – It has been found by some workers that death rate among those who had heart attack was 50-150 percent higher in those who were heavy cigarette smoker than non-smokers.
Physical Exercise – There is a fairly general trend towards encouraging regular physical effort of a kind suited to age and condition of the person concerned. As a preventive as well as a remedial measure exercise is of great importance. There is abundant evidence to suggest that a stressful sedentary life without much exercise provides a situation fraught with coronary danger. Death rate from coronary heart disease is lower among those who do strenuous physical work.
Even for patients, who have survived coronary attacks, there has lately been a change in the thinking in marked contrast in earlier ideas. The doctors are now a day advocating, after the initial prescribed rest, walking up the stairs, going on hikes, bicycles and other forms of exercise. The quantum of exercise in each case must of course be decided by the attending physician.
4. Diet and obesity – Certain studies have shown 50 percent increase in heart attacks in employees who were over weight similarly diet and amount of fat are matter of vital importance in incidence of heart disease. The sound advice which could be given is to lead a life of moderation in matter of diet and activity an also to avoid obesity. Large fatty meals and strenuous exercise after them is not conducive to a healthy heart.
Saturated fats are likely of animal origin like whole milk, cream, butter, cheese meat, fat, etc. They raise blood cholesterol level. On the other hand unsaturated fats are of vegetable origin and they tend to lower blood cholesterol levels like maize oil, cottonseed oil sunflower oil and fat of fish.
References :
research on multiple web sites…
Comment from Douglas D
Time January 17, 2010 at 6:25 pm
OK, 1st of all to answer your question, YES it’s entirely possible for a 15 year old to have a heart attack. It has happened many times to young people very much like you who are active in sports, overweight, and with a family history of heart problems.
Having said that, I think what you described in your question sounds more to me like an anxiety attack rather than a full blown heart attack.
But I think you should have your parents take you in for a check up anyway, it never hurts to monitor your health.
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Comment from Adam F
Time January 17, 2010 at 6:46 pm
It’s possible to have a heart attack at 15, but highly unlikley unless you have a known heart condition. If you were checked out, but still a doctor might request you wear a heart monitor around for a few days to detect any arythmia or any thing else that could be missed.
One thing that people get hung up in about anxitety and such is they think that they have to live stressful lives or something must be there. More likley its just emotional resonance and its the little things from all throughout your life, collect like a snow ball, so when the anchor is fired (whatever trigers the attack, maybe you know what its is most likley you don’t), it resonates back to all of the old stuff. There’s nothing wrong with you, this happens to everyday people with everyday problems.
Most likely its an anxiety issue, you get chest pain from a feeling, the shortness of breath is hypervenaltion from the fear, the dizyness is from the hypervenaltion. I used to get this all of the time. For the mean time when it starts the best thing to do is interrupt it. The thing that works for me is taking an ice cube and melting it on my forehead. Sounds silly but it stops it in about a minute ot two. Also you may want to google and learn a nice emotional technique called EFT. Once you are in the state of panic top on the sud spots and it can reduce the symptoms pretty quickly. EFT is easy to learn and is all over the internet, so don’t waste your money on any courses on it. If you can’t find it email me, I can tell you how to do it in 5 minutes.
The key is to discover and neutralize the feelings behin d the anxiety. For me 5-PATH hypnosis was the only thing that worked because I didn’t want to stay on Adivan. Just get relaxed and then say to yourself "There’s a feeling inside of me that I don’t like that has everything to do with this problem". Notice where the feeling pops up and then you have your beginings and feeling to work with.
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Comment from dsz5463
Time January 17, 2010 at 7:30 pm
You can most certainly have a heart attack. A 15 year old died last week from one. Those symptoms need to be taken seriously, even if it is a panic attack. You need to see a doctor, particularly if you’re overweight and have the family history you do.
Have a parent get you to a doctor and insist on an EKG, not just listening to your heart. If you don’t have a heart problem then they can address a panic attack and help you find ways to avoid another one.
Please don’t delay, I’ve read of at least six teenagers dying of a heart attack in the last few months. This is nothing to fool around with, get to a doctor.
References :
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL26009720071002
http://www.healthline.com/blogs/teen_health/2007/10/heart-attacks-can-occur-in-teenagers.html
Comment from versantly
Time January 17, 2010 at 7:50 pm
yes -call 911.
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Comment from Jess/19
Time January 17, 2010 at 8:08 pm
heart attacks comes in any shape form age or fashion i knew this one boy who died of heart trouble and he was a fit young man
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Comment from The gr8t alien
Time January 17, 2010 at 11:04 am
Anyone can have a hear attack under the right circumstances
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