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.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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5 Warning Signs of Your Metabolism Slowing Down

We all want to lead a healthy life and remain fit. However, sometimes, despite our best efforts at the gym, you may still be struggling to shed weight. This might not be your fault, and maybe, slow metabolism is to blame. Metabolism is a complex chemical process through which your body burns energy for basic bodily functions such as your heartbeat, brain function, and breathing. All of this makes a big difference in the overall feeling of wellbeing. Did you know that your metabolism can account for 70% of the calories that you burn each day?

Those with a fast metabolism can easily maintain a healthy weight and burn fat. But those who have a sluggish metabolism have to work extra hard to maintain or lose weight. They also struggle to keep sustained energy throughout the day. Hence, it is crucial to keep your metabolism stable and consistently keep finding ways to boost it.

It is also equally important to keep an eye on the signs of slow metabolism in your body, as they may easily be ignored by us. Some lifestyle habits and underlying medical conditions can also cause our metabolism rate to decrease and it is vital to be aware of those indicators and work on them. Here are some classic signs of a slow metabolism you should take note of.

1. Sudden changes in weight

The biggest sign of slow metabolism is sudden changes in weight. To put it simply, if you are experiencing unexplained weight gain, then that may be a prominent sign of a sluggish metabolism. Gaining unexpected weight suddenly often goes unnoticed and we generally tend to blame it on an increased appetite.

However, if your weight gain is stubborn – especially around the middle - and simply won’t budge, despite following various workout routines and eating well, then it may be a sign of a slow metabolism. Many health experts describe this as “weight loss resistance” that your body seems to have developed from a slow metabolism. Basically, your body slows down your calorie conversion, you end up burning fewer calories from the same amount of food in a day, and your body also starts to store more fat.

"This is commonly associated with hypothyroidism, which slows down the basal metabolic rate because of a lack of thyroid hormones which are essential to the body's metabolic activities," explains Mashfika N. Alam, MBBS, a general practitioner. Like sudden weight gain, sudden weight loss may also point to a metabolic issue. 

2. Hormonal imbalances

A slow metabolism can also cause your hormones to act unexpectedly. If you see that your skin is frequently dry and scaly, or you notice some hair thinning, these may be symptoms that your metabolism is slacking off. Because of slow metabolism, your body fails to utilize the micronutrients in the food you eat. Also, your cells aren’t as active as they are supposed to be resulting in improper blood supply.

As the skin fails to gain essential nutrients, it loses its luster. Furthermore, your body tries to conserve heat and you don't sweat as much. All of this results in you developing dry and cracked skin and brittle nails. Even oily skin followed by discoloration, or paleness may be an indication for you to get your metabolism on track.

The lack of sufficient micronutrients being absorbed by your body also affects your hair and its ability to grow and regenerate. A slowed metabolism can mean that your hair won’t have the supply it needs to stay strong, vibrant, and healthy. So, visible hair loss or a change in texture to dry and dull can be a sign specifying your potential metabolic deficiencies.

3. Blood sugar imbalance

Do you find yourself constantly craving sugar and carbs? If so, you may be experiencing insulin resistance, which results in slowing down your metabolism. "[Insulin resistance] is a common metabolic condition that means your cells are resistant to the action of insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas that regulates how your cells metabolize energy," explains Caroline Cederquist, MD, practicing bariatric physician. Thus, if your body is resistant to insulin, it is likely to cause chronically slow metabolism.

If you are regularly craving sugar-laden products then understand that it is because your body isn't properly utilizing insulin. Since your cells can't absorb the glucose in your body, it leads to sugar and other carb cravings. The issue with this is that the more sugar and refined carbs you eat, the more your body can't process them. Moreover, once the sugar high subsides, you are left feeling tired and lethargic. You are also likely to have brain fog, and an overpowering need to take a nap during the day.

4.Constipation                  

Are you having trouble going to the bathroom? A slow metabolism can also impact other processes of the body, including slowing down the entire digestive process, which leads to constipation. The bowel transit time becomes slower, too, because of a slow metabolism. "It takes longer for food to travel through the GI tract and be properly digested, thus constipation occurs,” says Dr. Susan Besser, MD.

Generally, older people, who tend to be less active, have a slower metabolism and less muscle contraction strength along their digestive tract. That shouldn’t be the case for people who are young or middle-aged. When your thyroid fails to produce enough hormones (a condition known as hypothyroidism), it can have an adverse effect on your metabolism. In fact, metabolic disorders, like hypothyroidism, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis, are well known to cause constipation.

5. Excessive stress

The health of our gut is primarily responsible for our mood and mental health. Metabolism largely affects our gut and a slow metabolic rate also slows down various bodily functions, including the brain’s functioning, which can result in depression or extreme stress.

Furthermore, stress amplifies the production of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and forces our brain to reach for comfort foods. It's meant to give you a quick boost of energy. However, when you are constantly stressed, the body keeps making cortisol and high levels of this hormone will make it tougher for your body to use insulin. This can eventually decrease our desire for exercise and slow down digestion. It can then put a break on your metabolism and promote weight gain.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement