Why India's Young Population Is Suffering From Heart Attacks

Heart Attack Risk: Younger people dying is a serious cause for concern, and the reasons for this must be understood to align for better health and lifestyle.

Signs of heart attack | Representative Image ( Image Source :Getty )

By Dr Ankur Phatarpekar

India has come a long way since the 1950s when the average life expectancy was 35 years. By 1995, India's average life expectancy had risen to 60 years, and it now stands at 70 years, thanks to improved medical developments and income. Younger people dying is a serious cause for concern, and the reasons for this must be understood to align for better health and lifestyle.

What Causes Heart Disease In India

To understand the reason better, we must go back in time when we had little understanding of what causes heart disease. The INTERHEART trial was a watershed moment in the study of heart disease and its risk factors. According to this study, Indians smoked more, had greater blood pressure, diabetes, and worse cholesterol profiles. Not only that, but preventative risk factors such as exercise and the consumption of fruits and vegetables were also reduced. The protective impact was smaller in persons who ate vegetables. One theory is that Indians heat their veggies rather than eating them raw, which could cause damage to key components like folates.

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What Is Causes Heart Disease In Youth Population Of India

Stress: Young people in India are under a lot of stress, including performance stress, urbanisation stress, and lifestyle stress, all of which contribute to smoking, drinking, and unhealthy eating habits and patterns. According to research, long-term stress is connected to higher levels of blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar, as well as an increased risk of hypertension, which is a common risk factor for heart disease.

Lifestyle: Due to work from home and a sedentary lifestyle, the Covid phase has been significantly more uncomfortable. Alcohol under "moderation" was thought to be protective in Europeans, but it was less so in Indians, possibly due to their binge drinking practices. 
Delayed onset of symptoms: The longer it takes to provide the information, the worse the results will be. The delay in a condition when time is a muscle is primarily due to self-diagnosis and confidence in alternative remedies. There is also a lack of health awareness and screening for basic heart disease risk factors.

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What Should Be Done For A Healthy Heart?

A healthy lifestyle would undoubtedly aid in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, excessive cholesterol, and hyperglycemia. Exercise and a good diet are both beneficial in preventing sickness. However, there is more to it than meets the eye, particularly with the growing number of young cardiac patients who are more aware and informed.
Will six-monthly health checkups help detect heart, lung, and kidney problems earlier? The answer lies with the government and Indian industry if all Indians are encouraged to have a yearly health check-up in order to learn about their problems and take necessary medical action. Debate, discussion, and self-awareness may be the key to finding a solution.

The government's focus is mostly on communicable diseases like malaria, whereas health education in schools and risk factor screening for heart disease should begin at an early age, particularly in rural areas. In India, thinking outside the box is the way to go when it comes to preventing heart attacks in the young.

The author is Director, Cath Lab, Interventional Cardiologist, Symbiosis Hospital, Mumbai