Heart Health Heart Disease Causes & Risk Factors 5 Lesser-Known Risk Factors for Heart Attack By Steven Nissen, MD, Cleveland Clinic Expert Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on December 03, 2019 facebook linkedin Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. Learn about our Medical Review Board Richard N. Fogoros, MD Updated on January 23, 2020 Print Many risk factors for heart attack are well known, among them smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and lack of exercise. These tend to be universal, meaning they can increase the risk in nearly anyone. But there are other risk factors that put certain people at risk—or put people at risk under certain conditions. Let’s talk about these lesser-known risk factors and who is likely to be affected. 1 Extreme Cold nautiluz56 / iStock Cold temperatures cause the arteries to constrict which can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. Combine this with physical exertion, such as shoveling snow, and the strain may be too much for some hearts to take. Every year, shoveling snow sends more than 11,000 people to the hospital—at least seven percent are with heart trouble. 2 Sudden Exertion A bout of sudden, strenuous physical activity can lead to a heart attack in people who are not physically fit. It can happen from something as seemingly harmless as a pick-up game of basketball or from lifting and carrying something heavy, such as a shovel full of snow. People who are not used to exercising, or have traditional risk factors for heart disease, are at increased risk. 3 Heavy Meals A heavy meal can occasionally trigger a heart attack. Researchers think it happens because eating raises levels of the hormone epinephrine which can increase blood pressure and heart rate. 4 Intense Emotions Studies have shown that intense anger and grief can cause a heart attack. It probably occurs from a sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure triggered by an element of surprise. Because many of us experience these emotions in our lifetime and live through them, they are probably more likely to negatively impact people who are already at increased risk for heart attack. There is a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which may imitate a heart attack, but is somewhat different. It tends to occur more often in women, at times of intense grief, and produces heart attack-like symptoms that cause sudden heart failure. It is thought to be the result of an arterial spasm. With treatment, heart failure often resolves after the grief subsides. Later testing generally shows no evidence of heart attack. 5 Related Conditions When you are diagnosed with a serious medical condition that seems unrelated to your heart, the risk of a heart attack may not cross your mind. For this reason, the role of certain conditions in raising the risk of heart attack is often unappreciated. Conditions known to increase the risk of a heart attack include: Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and any other inflammatory disease which can cause inflammation in the blood vessels Preeclampsia (raises blood pressure) Gestational diabetes (greatly increases the risk of heart attack) Sleep apnea (causes aggressive heart disease that increases the risk of heart attack by 30 percent over five years) Prior radiation to the chest (primarily for cancer of the left breast which can damage the heart) Any person with one of these conditions should see a cardiologist in addition to their regular doctor. Dr. Nissen is a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute, the nation's No. 1 cardiology and heart surgery program as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Did you know the most common forms of heart disease are largely preventable? Our guide will show you what puts you at risk, and how to take control of your heart health. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Schwartz BG, Qualls C, Kloner RA, K. Relation of total and cardiovascular death rates to climate system, temperature, barometric pressure, and respiratory infection. Am J Cardiol, 2015;116(8):1290-1297. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/412231 Smeijers L, Mostofsky E, Tofler GH, et al. Anxiety and anger immediately prior to myocardial infarction and long-term mortality: Characteristics of high-risk patients. J Psychosom Res. 2017;93:19-27. Smyth A, O’Donnell M, Lamelas P, et al. Physical activity and anger or emotional upset as triggers of acute myocardial infarction: The INTERHEART Study. Circ, 2016;135(15):1059-1067.