Cardiac ailments among young Indians have become a concern for health experts. But even as institutions explore why there has been a surge in heart attack cases in relatively younger age groups in India, with many associating it with Covid-19, the shocking news of Jammu resident Yogesh Gupta collapsing and dying on stage in the middle of his performance due to cardiac arrest has unnerved people.
This is not a sporadic incident. Several such incidents have been surfacing for the past year since the peak of the Delta Plus wave.
The director of Clinical and Preventive Cardiology, Heart Institute of Medanta, Dr Manish Bansal said that lifestyle, mental stress and Covid-19 could be triggers for cardiac arrest. He said, "Cholesterol deposit in our arteries is the main reason for heart attack. When it is ruptured it leads to a sudden heart attack. One of the key factors is mental stress, which leads to the bursting of the arteries and blockage due to cholesterol. Covid is also another factor which may lead to a heart attack. Although there is not much said about it, several studies suggest people who were infected with Covid, their arteries are damaged and it is one of the reasons for heart attack."
Dr Bansal stressed that an unhealthy lifestyle and skipping workouts along with smoking and drinking habits contributed to the factors of cardiac arrest. Hence, those who are engaged in regressive physical activities or heavy exercise may consult health experts and get routine imaging and testing done, particularly those who have cholesterol issues or rhythm issues in their heart and hence, they are advised to evaluate thorough health tests.
A reputed cardiologist at Aakash healthcare, Dr Ashish Agarwal said that many patients believed that the main symptom of a heart attack was actually pain, which was incorrect. “The main symptoms of heart attack or any kind of chest discomfort- burning or heaviness, choking, squeezing in the centre of the chest, sweating, vomiting, nausea, giddiness, then it should be immediately discussed with your cardiologist," said the cardiologist.
Healthcare experts often say that there are four major risk factors for heart attack — diabetes, smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure. There are certainly other factors as well, such as family history and a poor lifestyle. Dr Agarwal said, "Many people say that we are going to the gym, then why we are suffering from a heart attack. Bodybuilding is not equivalent to cardiovascular fitness. So people should not believe that if he's a bodybuilder, he will never have a heart attack”. “For example, today smoking among young people has increased, diabetic patients have also increased and these are the reasons why young people are suffering from a heart attack," the cardiologist explained.
Dr Atul Mathur, the executive director of interventional cardiology at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said, “Front left and right arteries insure blood supply to the heart. Cholesterol blocks these arteries. Dr Mathur emphasised that mental stress, physical health and other reasons were linked to rising cases of heart disorders among people. He suggested regular health check-ups could help in the reduction of cardiac arrests among people.
