An Alarming Trend: A Rising Incidence of Heart Attacks in Younger Adults
Apart from the chitter and chatter of the pandemic, these days, every other person speaks or knows of some young adult experiencing a Cardiac Arrest. The media often highlights a young actor suddenly dying of a Cardiac Arrest or a Heart Attack – the latest one being reality TV star Sidharth Shukla. Haven’t you ever wondering why the number of Heart Attack cases is rising among young and active people? Why do younger people, who work out six days a week, fall among the percentage of Indians under age 40 stricken by heart attacks each year?
Dr Haresh G. Mehta, Consultant-Interventional Cardiologist, says that there are several reasons to worry. “Not enough young people take their risk factors seriously. Firstly, it is important to note that looking fit or going to the gym does not mean you are healthy or living a healthy lifestyle. Many young adults these days usually indulge in an unhealthy lifestyle. For instance, excessive stress, lack of sleep, alcohol intake, smoking, drug abuse, unnecessary and unsafe supplements, slimming pills, and over-exercise.”
Dr Mehta says that these are not only unhealthy but cause multiple health complications. Now, the problem is most people come in with a sudden Heart Attack causing death. Therefore, being informed about the risk factors is of significant importance. Some key risk factors of having a heart attack at a young age include:
- Substance abuse or excessive alcohol use
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol levels
- Lack of physical activity
- Diabetes
- Poor diet
- Over-exercising
Now, the only way to avoid these health complications at an early age is a lifestyle change. Here are a few recommendations
- It is best to avoid over-the-counter supplements without consultation of a medical expert
- Stop smoking and alcohol intake
- Avoid addiction of any kind
- Try to practice meditation and Yoga to reduce stress
- Speak to your doctor for proper guidance on diet, supplements and exercises
At the end of the day, it’s essential to understand your risk factors – high blood pressure, waist circumference, unhealthy BMI, and work to correct them early. Start managing your health in your early 30s, watch your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and ensure regular health check-ups. Also, check for any genetic risk factors and align your lifestyle in consultation with your doctor. Whatever we can do early on, the better. We must set good habits for ourselves and for our children. It is also paramount that we become aggressive about risk factor modification, or the Heart Attack rate in young people will keep rising.
It is also vital that the general public learns CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) for the well being of society at large. Lastly, it is advisable for most public spaces like housing societies, gyms, malls, parks to have defibrillators that can act crucial to save people from sudden cardiac death.