Middle-age heart attacks: Is poor-air metro life a culprit?

HYDERABAD: Heart attacks have increased significantly, especially among young adults. Many well-known people, including actor Puneeth Raj Kumar and former YSRCP politician Mekapati Gautam Kumar, died of a cardiac death at a young age.

TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy's 28-year-old son Chandramouli Reddy died last month of a cardiac arrest. The entire state was shocked because he was supposed to marry this month and died a few days before his wedding owing to a sudden heart arrest.

In another shocking incident, Nandamuri Taraka Ratna collapsed while participating in Nara Lokesh's Yuvagalam Padayatra in Kuppam on Friday. Even though he is now undergoing treatment, his unexpected heart arrest has sent shockwaves throughout the state.

There has been a significant increase in cardiac arrest cases in India, particularly among younger people. According to estimates, around 7 lakh incidents of sudden cardiac death are documented each year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), prevention and therapy might have prevented or avoided 86% of CVD fatalities. As a result, numerous lifestyle choices have been related to poor cardiovascular health.

Due to an increase in heart attacks, renowned cardiologists have emphasised the significance of spreading awareness about the condition, stating that awareness can reduce sudden cardiac arrests.

Cardiologists believe that it is important to differentiate a sudden cardiac arrest from a heart attack, which occurs when one or more of the patient's coronary arteries get blocked. A cardiac arrest is typically caused by an irregular heart rhythm, which occurs when our heart's electrical circuitry malfunctions. An acute heart attack, on the other hand, can occasionally cause an electrical disruption, culminating in a rapid cardiac arrest.

Survival after a cardiac arrest episode is achievable with quick and effective medical care. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of a defibrillator to shock the heart, or even simply compressing the chest can increase the chances of survival until medical help arrives.

Dr. B.Hygriv Rao, Senior cardiologist, Director Pacing and Electrophysiology- KIMS Hospitals says, "The causes and signs are still not well understood or at least sanctioned when it comes to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Seeing how in India, the mean age at which one suffers from a Sudden Cardiac arrest is far less than the rest of the world, there is a need for immediate action. Especially as we are predicting further rise in such cardiovascular diseases due to the shift in lifestyle and other environmental factors. One of the leading reasons for Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a heart attack and the numbers of heart attack patients keep rising each year in India despite the awareness across levels.''

''A huge factor here is rapid shift towards sedentary lifestyle paired with the poor air quality, especially in the metros. While some efforts have been made to curb this through certain dietary guidelines however it does not encompass the complete spectrum of issues that lead to CVDs in Indians. Hence, we must view the indicators leading to heart diseases at a macro-level rather than prioritizing" Dr Rao further added.