Docs blame sedentary lifestyle for spike in heart attacks among young adults

Anindita Acharya | MP | 6 Apr 2023 | Kolkata: Bollywood actress and Miss Universe Sushmita Sen left everyone shocked when she recently revealed she had a severe heart attack with 95% blockage. News of young adults mostly in their thirties, forties and early fifties collapsing due to heart attacks has sparked fear among us. 

Dr Subhrojyoti Bhowmick, clinical director, research and academics at a renowned city hospital, blames the erratic lifestyle for the sudden uptick of cardiac deaths in young people. He also told Millennium Post how there has been an increase in the consumption of junk food, which also is one of the key reasons for heart attacks. 

“Today, we lead an erratic lifestyle. We consume junk food, and alcohol without thinking of burning the calories. This wasn’t the case a few years ago. Also, youngsters today lead a stressful life, which also increases the chances of cardiac arrest,” said Dr Bhowmick on World Health Day. Pulmonologist and critical care specialist Dr Sharad Bagri also echoed similar sentiments. 

According to him, young adults who are likely to be smokers, alcoholics, diabetics and lead a sedentary lifestyle expose themselves to cardiac ailments. “Today’s youngsters consume alcohol and junk food almost regularly. This shoots up the cholesterol level, which puts pressure on the heart. Then, pollution also increases respiratory diseases,” said Dr Bagri. 

Popular interventional cardiologist Dr Shuvanan Ray mentioned how Covid-19 led to several health complications among young adults. “Before Covid, cardiac ailments were mostly reported in people in their 50s. However, post-Covid, it has been observed that patients in their 30s are also suffering from heart attacks. 

Almost 50 percent of the cardiac patients who visited the hospital during the second and third waves were between the ages of 30 and 40. This can create a massive health crisis in our society, as it is an indicator of the fact that cardiac issues are not limited to any age group but are increasingly being reported amongst young people,” he said. 

Dr Ray suggests young people to undergo cardiac evaluation post Covid recovery. Also Read - Fire breaks out at Santoshpur Railway Station, none hurt Cardiologist Dr Tushar Kanti Patra is concerned about the rising heart-related issues among young people, particularly the increase in myocardial infarction. 

“To combat these issues, it’s important for individuals to prioritise their health and make conscious decisions when it comes to their diet and lifestyle choices,” he said. Interventional cardiologist Dr Aditya Verma believes genetics play a critical role in the upsurge of heart attacks. 

“In every family, there will be a member suffering from hypertension, diabetes, or some type of cardiac disease. This overall increases the genetic tendency in a family to have a heart attack or stroke-related problems in the future,” he said. 

Both Dr Bhowmick and Dr Bagri informed how the abnormal genes in the heart muscle cause Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM), a condition that goes unnoticed in people of younger age groups. 

“So, when gymming, there’s overexertion, a young adult succumbs to cardiac arrest. Therefore, I strongly believe that gyms should carry out mandatory cardiac screening like ECG and gym trainers should be trained on basic life support to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in case of any emergency,” said Dr Bhowmick. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/docs-blame-sedentary-lifestyle-for-spike-in-heart-attacks-among-young-adults-514265?infinitescroll=1