doctors quickly determined their patient’s main coronary artery was clogged and that he had suffered a myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack. the episode was most likely triggered by intense emotions — particularly anger. liu had no history of high blood pressure, heart disease or
diabetes but he was a smoker, a factor doctors said contributed to his problems.
gao hong, the director of the hospital that treated liu, said extended periods of agitation can take a toll on the body.
“it will increase the excitability of the body’s sympathetic nerves, stimulate the heart rate and peripheral blood vessels will constrict, leading to increased blood pressure, which in turn damages blood vessels and the heart,” he said.
heart disease is the second leading cause of death in canada, behind only cancer,
according to the public health agency of canada
. the term encompasses a range of conditions affecting the heart, including ischemic heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. roughly 2.4 million canadians over the age of 20 (8.5 per cent) were living with a diagnosed case of ischemic heart disease as of 2012-13, according to the agency’s latest data. around 160,000 canadians receive a new heart disease diagnosis annually, 63,000 or so after experiencing their first heart attacks.