The number of Heart Attacks is increasing rapidly among young Indians. It is possible that these cases can be more in the future if the causes are not appropriately scrutinized. Heart attacks were primarily related to older people but nowadays it is a major issue concerning young people between 35 to 40 years. There are a lot of things that changed after the pandemic coronavirus.
Is coronavirus the main culprit behind the increasing number of heart attack cases among young people? Let’s get into the deep talk and scrutinized a few facts together for a congenial answer.
What Is A Heart Attack?
In general, heart attacks are a result of blockages in arteries leading to the heart, and once cholesterol begins to deposit in the arteries, it slowly builds up from a very small bulge to a significant amount. When it reaches above 70-80 percent, the individual will notice symptoms.
Causes Of Heart Attacks Among Young Indians:
In recent times, we have seen several news regarding young people who have died of heart attacks at the early ages of 35-40 years.
Tv actor Siddhartha Shukla died due to cardiac arrest. Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passed away due to cardiac arrest just before he was about to start working out. He complained about uneasiness and suddenly he died of a serious cardiac arrest.
It used to be believed that only older people were affected by heart complications. These days, doctors say they see young people with complications that are normally associated with the elderly. Many believe that overworking in the gym causes heart problems, while others attribute the problem to Coronavirus outbreaks.
Further studies show that Indians are more vulnerable to heart problems than other countries. But the reasons for the increasing number of heart attacks in young Indians is a more complicated thing to talk about.
Genetics
Genetics is one of the most probable reasons behind heart attacks among Indians. In one study, it is found that more than 45% of Indians carry genetic variations that are associated with an increased risk of heart disease; this gene can be found in almost everyone but its evolution is more prominent among Indians.
Sleep Quality & Over-Stressed Life
Among young Indians, doctors claim there is a greater risk of heart complications because they have a more stressful life and sleep less. Sleep Quality is the most important factor to be on the healthy side of human health. Quality is more needed than sleep quantity. Various studies show that older people were less stressed and recently anxiety disorders are seen more among the new generation.
Youth today live in a fast-paced world driven by social media and competition, anywhere and everywhere they go they must be available on their mobile devices, whether they’re at work or home. Indian youths are more stressed about job losses and financial security. Those who work in high-stressed sectors are more vulnerable to developing heart complications due to stress sleep quality is also compromised.
The increasing number of heart attacks in young Indians is creating a big concern among doctors and they are still trying to figure out something new.
Poor sleep quality increases the chance of many underlying causes of heart complications such as High Blood Pressure, Increased Level Of Cholesterol, and atherosclerosis.
Less Physical Activity & Poor Eating Habits
It is recommended by the World Health Organization that adults should exercise at least 150 minutes per week to live a healthy life, but most Indian adults don’t fulfill this requirement.
The quality of the Indian diet is poor because it is based mainly on cereals, which contain more carbohydrates and less protein, and it lacks other required micronutrients for the body. Due to this reason carbs intake has been increased and protein consumption has decreased very badly.
It seems that processed foods have become more affordable, leading to fewer people eating healthy diets, whether it is instant noodles, chips, pizza, burgers, biscuits or chocolates, and online instant delivery companies are making it easy to get the foods in a jiffy. Sugar intake is also increased among Indians due to processed foods and this makes the reason behind increasing complications and heart problems among young Indians.
Even most of them have no idea of what a healthy diet is. Unknowingly young Indians are attracted to consuming more soft drinks and fast food which are dangerously unhealthy and related to so many health issues over time.
Drinking Alcohol & Smoking
It is estimated that most deaths related to heart disease are caused by regular smokers. The chemicals present in cigarettes cause the blood vessels to become swollen which leads to a wide variety of heart problems. Young Indians tend to smoke more actively than older people due to their stressed life and it causes them to increase the chance of heart-related conditions.
Alcohol is another habit in young people which has the worst effect on the heart. Increasing levels of stress lead people to drink more alcohol, and drinking alcohol can temporarily increase blood pressure and heart rate during consumption. Alcohol needs to be consumed occasionally and in moderate amounts. Excessive drinking can make the heart at a greater risk of complications.
Post-Covid Effects
The Coronavirus outbreak is believed to be increasing the heart attack risk among young Indians. A study found that Coronavirus patients were more likely to develop heart-related problems later in life.
Why Is Coronavirus Causing Heart Problems?
According to doctors, Coronaviruses can cause inflammation of the blood vessels and even in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, resulting in heart failure. If such sustained inflammation of blood vessels occurs, clots can form, which can then block the heart and result in a heart attack. The effects of inflammation can also include high blood pressure and elevated cortisol levels, which can lead to abnormal heart rates.
Excessive Workout In The Gym
Indeed, exercise benefits heart health and overall health conditions but overdoing exercise can do more harm than good, especially if one has hidden heart complications or has a history of heart disease.
People suffer heart attacks due to a previous disease that is in the heart that they are not aware of, they were exercising, as usual, thinking that’s what is best for them, and they didn’t get checked out and ended up dying from it. One should exercise in moderation and should consult about how much workout is good for their health and how much would be harmful.
Increasing The Level Of Air Pollution
There is also the possibility that high levels of air pollution contribute to the increasing incidents of heart attacks in young Indians since pollution is extremely deleterious not only to the lungs but also to the heart. Many factors affect the heart from air pollution; not only is it directly toxic to the heart, but it also harms all health systems as a whole.
Symptoms & Preventions Of Heart Attacks
Symptoms:
Chest Pain
Discomfort Or Tightness
Pain In The Left Arm
Shortness Of Breath
Pain In The Jaw, Throat, Or Neck
Sometimes Severe Pain In The Stomach & Sweating
Prevention:
Doctors say that heart attacks among young people can be prevented if it is taken seriously and with some lifestyle changes.
A person should check their blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol levels after they reach 35 years of age, and for exercise, they are advised to walk, swim, run, jog, and participate in outdoor games like badminton, tennis, or anything people love to do in a form of exercises.
A Healthy Diet, Sleep Quality Improvement, Regular Exercising, No Smoking, and Managing Stress Levels are a few basic changes one can implement.
For stress management, meditation, playing sports, reading books doing something that makes you happy or following hobbies can be good options.
For sleep improvement, if stress is managed then automatically sleep quality can be improved. Further, a good orthopedic or comfortable mattress, reading books before sleep, creating a peaceful bedroom environment, or keeping the mobile phone away before bedtime can also make someone sleep better.
If smoking and drinking are impossible to quit, at least someone can cut down their intake level or take help from institutions that help to quit such habits.
One should consult a physician to check the health status before starting any big gym goal or bodybuilding. This can help to evaluate the actual situation of the individual.
A healthy diet should be followed and processed food should be completely avoided to prevent heart problems.
Try to put some indoor plants in the bedroom to improve the indoor air quality and also mind.
