Recent incidents of young people, in the age bracket of 25-40, suffering from heart attacks amid their everyday activities have led to a rise in concerns among people.
The phrase ‘heart attack’ has always been associated with elderly people. “Once regarded as an old man’s disease, heart attacks are not uncommon among young adults these days,” said Murali Krishna, chief cardiologist at Manipal Hospital in Vijayawada.
Risk factors could be many, including genetics, lifestyle, eating habits or stress levels. Eating junk food leads to an increase in cholesterol deposition in arteries.
“Those who collapsed during workouts or performing dance must have had underlying heart conditions. One should ascertain how much stress (physical) one’s heart can take. It is advisable that one goes for a check-up before doing heavy lifting or other strenuous workouts. Every person, aged above 25, should get themselves tested,” the cardiologist added.
In addition to these, coronavirus also has a link to the rise in heart attacks among youngsters, he said.
Those who are suffering from long-term COVID, a condition where symptoms such as dry cough, difficulty in breathing, breathlessness, linger on for a long time after testing negative for the virus, should get themselves tested. There are medicines that can prevent weakening of the heart, Dr. Murali Krishna said.
Regular exercise for 30 minutes, keeping sugar and blood pressure levels under check, and maintaining healthy weight are important, he said. Stress is an emerging factor for heart diseases among youngsters these days and they need to learn the ways and make a conscious effort to avoid it, he added.
