Heart disease is no
longer restricted to the middle-aged and the old. Long working hours at the
desk, little physical exercise and unhealthy eating habits are also taking a
toll on working professionals in their late twenties and early thirties,
experts say.
According to the
India Today-Saffolalife Study conducted on 46,000 urban Indians, 78 percent of
those aged between 30 and 34 run the risk of a heart attack, Kanchan Naikawadi,
Director, Indus Health Plus (P) Ltd. said.
In last few months,
30-year-old TV actor Abir Goswami and 20-plus Kannada actor Hemanth died of a
heart attack.
There is no specific
profession that leads to a higher number of heart diseases, but professionals
who tend to sit for most of the time are more likely to suffer from such
diseases, informs Naikawadi.
"Those from the
IT and BPO sector fall under this category. With most of the work happening
from desk and minimal physical activity being involved, the chances of risk in
such professions are higher," Naikawadi told IANS.
Ravindra L. Kulkarni,
cardiologist and co-founder of Just For Hearts, too felt that although every
profession contributes to stress, employees of IT companies are more stressed
out owing to long working hours, graveyard shifts and unhealthy eating habits.
There are other
unhealthy lifestyle practices that cause early heart attacks.
"I have observed
that smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart attacks among youngsters. No
physical exercise and alcohol intake further increase the risk. High
cholesterol levels, diabetes and hypertension are also some of the
factors," Amar Singhal, head of department, interventional cardiologist,
Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, told IANS.
Heart disease, which
was earlier associated with older men, is also becoming common among women.
Kulkarni said that
till women reach menopause, they are protected against it. But, it has been
found that across the globe, approximately 8.6 million women die every year due
to heart attacks. He attributed it to changes in lifestyle.
To prevent a heart
attack, certain physical signs should not be ignored.
If you are suddenly
running out of breath and there is no one around you to lend a helping hand,
panic. Try to calm down. Sit whereever you are and take deep breaths, said
Naikawadi and gave more tips to avoid a larger problem.
"If you are
wearing any tight clothes, loosen them. Get your hands on an asprin tablet and
make sure that you chew it well. Tt will work faster," she said.
"Make sure that
you are not surrounded by a crowd that adds to the feeling of being restless.
Drink something refreshing and if you are outside, look for a place with shade.
If you feel it could be a heart attack, call for emergency medical help,"
Naikawadi added.
Naikawadi informed
that according to a WHO report, four people die of heart attack every minute in
India and the age group is mainly between 30-50.
A sudden heart attack
is not uncommon, so it is advisable to check your family history and consult
doctors. Under the scenario, regular checkups are must for everyone.
"However, the only
way to find out about any such condition is to go for regular preventive health
checkups starting early in life, especially individuals with a family history
and high risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes,"
Naikawadi advised.
A heart attack
happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart gets blocked. In such
cases angioplasty, which costs around Rs.2 lakh, could be the ideal remedy.
"Emergency
angiogram is done and the blockage causing the heart attack is diagnosed. The
blockage is removed and a stent is placed across the area," explained
Karthik Vasudevan, Interventional cardiologist at Bangalore's Columbia Asia
Referral Hospital.
To keep your heart
strong after an attack, Singhal suggested strictly following a healthy diet
and, regularly exercising without exerting and regular checkups.
Last but not least,
do not ignore any chest pain.
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