12 Unexpected Things That Can Trigger a Heart Attack

October 28, 2025

3 min read

Myocardial infarction is caused by a blockage in an artery leading to the heart. Factors that can lead to this include high cholesterol and blood pressure, smoking, being overweight, low physical activity, and diabetes. However, heart attacks can have other triggers that are much less obvious. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Key takeaways

Myocardial infarction is caused by a blockage in an artery leading to the heart.

Who this is for

People exploring Cardiovascular health through heart, post-covid.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Halina

Cardiologist

Lack of sleep. Studies have shown that people who sleep less than 6 hours a day have twice the risk of a heart attack than those who sleep 6–8 hours.

Frequent migraines. Those who have regular headaches are more likely to experience a heart attack in the future. Particular attention should be paid to situations where the pain is reported by precursors such as strange sounds, flashes of light, flickering dots, double vision, or speech disorders. All of these can be related to heart issues.

Exposure to cold. Frosty weather is stressful for the arteries, which narrow in the cold. In addition, the heart has to work harder to "warm" the body. Therefore, if you have problems with your cardiovascular system, dress warmly in winter, try to avoid sudden temperature changes, and do not overexert yourself in cold weather.

Polluted air. If you live in an area with dirty air, you may be more susceptible to heart issues.

Eating large meals. Of course, having a good diet is important. But it is equally important to eat healthy portions in moderation. When you eat too much in one sitting, your body releases the stress hormone norepinephrine, which raises your blood pressure and makes your heart beat faster. If the meal is also fatty, the risk to your blood vessels and heart increases.

Strong feelings. The heart does not understand the difference between negative and positive emotions, so both bad and very good news can cause strain on the heart.

Excessive physical activity. Fitness for the heart is certainly beneficial. However, training to the limit is not. It is especially dangerous when a person who is out of shape tries to do too much exercise at once.

SARS and Flu. While your immune system is fighting the disease, your body can become inflamed and damage your heart and arteries. That's why it's not uncommon for the trivial flu to lead to a heart attack.

The cardiovascular system is negatively affected by COVID-19. That's why everyone who has had the disease, even in its mild form, is recommended to have a cardiac checkup.

Asthma. Those who suffer from this disease are 70 % more likely than healthy people to have a heart attack, even if they have asthma completely under control.

Deferred stress. Extreme stress — such as a natural disaster, accident, or the loss of a loved one — can cause heart problems later on. Keep an eye on your heart health during stressful times.

Alcohol abuse. Many experts believe that alcohol such as wine in small amounts can be healthy for the heart. While this is true, regular consumption of alcoholic beverages in large doses negatively affects both the heart and other organs. Scientists have found that the risk of heart attack increases with excessive drinking.

Coffee. Like alcohol, it can be beneficial in small doses but not in excessive quantities. One or two cups a day have little or no effect on heart function, but large doses of caffeine increase blood pressure and with it the chances of a heart attack.

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