Why young people face high heart risk: Uncovering Lifestyle Factors

Globally, the age threshold of people suffering from heart diseases is coming down alarmingly. Sadly, India too is not an exception to the rule, with incidence among heart disease in young adults steadily on the rise, and specially observed among individuals under 40. Our experience at the Peerless Hospital also corroborates this. Traditionally, heart-related ailments were known to have been confined to the elderly. And that makes it a matter of real concern. Even more so in India, where the average age of young adults developing cardiovascular problems is 10 years less than the Western countries. Evidence suggests that cardiovascular problems reported from an age group of 40 years and less now constitute about 40 per cent of the total such incidents reported by all the age groups.

Similarly, we, at the Peerless Hospital, are treating more and more women patients with cardiovascular issues than ever before, in sync with the national experience, which too is bucking the traditional trends. 

The third alarming trend is the rising heart problems in young people from Low Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) regions (areas that have lower average income, lower educational attainment, high female fertility etc), which are witnessing a greater increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden compared to high SDI regions.

At Peerless Hospital, the best hospital in Kolkata, which has one of the most revered cardiac care facilities, medical practitioners are naturally concerned. “While cardiology is one of the areas where a good amount of progress is being made both in terms of clinical procedures and protocols as well as in the technological infrastructure needed to address cardiovascular issues, the increasing incidence of the ailment afflicting the young is a matter of grave concern,” opine senior practitioners.

Cardiovascular ailments are largely familial with genetic predisposition. However, lifestyle changes now very common, have led to the recent surge in cardiac ailments among the youth. Even the experts have found a strange connection with stress and heart health risk. 

The regular intake of high-calorie junk food laden with trans fats is another underlying reason. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and other drug abuse are also important contributing factors. A sedentary lifestyle, lack of proper exercise, along with the unchecked intake and abuse of substances, they say, is a heady cocktail.

Another area of grave concern, especially among the relatively young, is the high level of stress that they are now suffering from. Add to it sleep deprivation, which is acquiring menacing proportions among the young. And the problem is the compounded manifold. The fact that most people are exposed to huge amounts of pollution ensures the completion of the holy troika of killer inputs.

And all this on top of it are genetic predispositions, with the population of South East Asia being prone to an amplified risk of heart diseases.

There are, of course, the underlying reasons that lead to cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, all of which are incidentally witnessing increasing incidence among the young, making them susceptible to the development of heart-related disorders.

Some studies have suggested that there are perceptible reasons to believe that there is a link between COVID-19 and cardiac complications, though such studies are still largely inconclusive.

The one fact that all the domain experts at Peerless Hospital, the best heart hospital in Kolkata, stressed is the need to create awareness about Cardiac complications among the young, especially those in the red zone. If diagnosed early, and the patients are brought within a strict regime of medication and lifestyle improvement, they unanimously say, most of the adverse effects and the risk of future complications can be arrested well within time. General awareness about heart health with a strict adherence to the simple do’s and don’ts is capable of arresting the onset to a very great extent, they say.   

As we cannot avoid the needs of the workplace,  we need to work in a healthy lifestyle within a health-challenging workspace. To that, we need to

Shift to a healthier food habit that includes fibres, fruits, vegetables and the like with proper spacing

• Avoiding unhealthy fats and fries
• Avoid long stretches of working without physical movement by making it a habit to walk about in short stretches. Use homemade food, rather than the commonly preferred junk foods.
• Quit smoking and alcohol
• Take time out for vigorous exercise and maintain a healthy weight.

• And go for a periodic medical check-up at a facility like the Peerless Hospital.

   

Final Thoughts: Cardiovascular problems are alarmingly on the rise globally. In India, the situation is even more alarming, with the susceptible age being 10 to 15 years less than that in Western countries. To keep the chances of heart disease at bay, it's crucial to go for regular health checkups. Visit the Peerless Hospital today to consult the best cardiac specialist in Kolkata.