Context: In recent years, the incidence of heart attacks among youths has drastically increased.

What is Heart Attack?

• About: A heart attack is a medical condition in which a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. 
  • Lack of blood supply causes heart tissue to die.
• Occurrence: When the heart is unable to pump blood to all organs of the body. 
  • It mainly takes place due to obstruction in arteries carrying blood to the heart. 
• Symptoms: Common symptoms of heart attacks include pain in the chest, neck, back, or arms, as well as fatigue, lightheadedness, abnormal heartbeat, and anxiety.
• Vulnerability: Patients with diabetes and other chronic health diseases have a significantly higher risk of a heart attack.
• Other Causes: Consuming tobacco, alcohol, and drugs such as cocaine.
• Treatment: Coronary angioplasty and primary angioplasty. 
• Other Treatment: Medicine for blood thinning and stress relievers.

Heart Attack Deaths 

• About: Heart disease is a major cause of death across the world and its prevalence has risen in India over the past five years. 
• Global Prevalence: Affecting every other young person between the ages of 30 and 40. 
  • Globally, 17.9 million people died from Cardiovascular diseases in 2019, representing 32% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke.
• Prevalence of Heart Attacks in India: According to the ICMR report, heart diseases accounted for 28.1% of the deaths in India in 2016. The corresponding figure in 1990 was 15.2%. Here is the latest data on Heart Attacks in India;
  • In 2020, of the total 2,50,983 deaths registered in the country, 25.43% were due to heart attacks.
  • The cardiovascular disease death rate is 272 per 100,000, compared with the global average of 235 per 100,000.

Reasons for the rise in Heart Attacks in Youth

• Changing Lifestyle: The rise in heart-related issues is attributed to today’s fast-paced lifestyle and changes in habits. A sedentary lifestyle has accentuated the problem.
• Lifestyle Diseases: An increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, hypertension, insomnia, etc have contributed to heart diseases.
• Human Vices: Bad habits such as smoking, consumption of alcohol, use of drugs, nutrient-poor foods, etc have increased the risks.
• Lack of Exercise: Due to limited physical exercise, cholesterol levels in the body increase. This puts additional stress on the heart.
• Chronic stress: The competitive modern life often subjects young individuals to chronic stress, leading to the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can prove deadly over time.
• Long-term Effect of COVID-19: Studies have shown that youths who have recovered from severe COVID-19 infection are vulnerable to heart attacks.

What is the role of modern lifestyle on heart attacks?

• Fast-paced Lifestyle: The rise in heart-related issues is attributed to today’s fast-paced lifestyle and changes in habits. A sedentary lifestyle has accentuated the problem.
• Rise in Diseases: An increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, hypertension, insomnia, etc have contributed to heart diseases.

Can Covid-19 increase the risk of Heart Attacks?

• Relation: Studies have pointed out that COVID-19 increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. This is due to the inflammation that occurs throughout the body in severe cases.
• Role of the Virus: There is no clear evidence to say that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, directly affects blood vessels.
  • However, a study of the heart tissue of infected patients found viral RNA in the arterial walls than in the surrounding fat tissue. 
  • The infected cells, which were macrophages, help remove cholesterol from blood vessels. When they are laden with cholesterol, they are known as foam cells.
  • Accumulation of foam cells within arteries forms plaques that are a hallmark of atherosclerosis. This condition contributes to heart attacks and strokes.

Impact of Heart Attacks

• Financial Burden: The treatment of heart disease can be a burden on the individual and the family when it occurs at a young age.
• Affects Normal Functioning: An individual’s normal life gets affected due to heart attacks. Their food choice, lifestyle, as well as bodily functions are affected.
• Social Impact: Relationships with friends and family can be affected due to heart conditions. People may also suffer from loneliness.
• Mental Wellbeing: There are chances that mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD can develop after cardiac events.
• Sexual Life: People recovering from cardiac-related events hesitate to resume their sexual life for fear of relapse of the condition.

What is the Socioeconomic burden of heart disease?

• Financial Burden: The treatment of heart disease can be a burden on the individual and the family when it occurs at a young age.
• Social Burden: An individual’s normal life gets affected due to heart attacks. Their food choice, lifestyle, as well as bodily functions are affected.

How to Overcome Risks of Heart Diseases?

• Healthy Food Habits: Adopting healthy food habits can help mitigate cardiovascular risk factors and promote overall well-being.
  • There is a need to inculcate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds into the diet.
• Limited Uptake of Sugar and Salts: Consumption of sugar and salts must be within limits to enable cardiovascular health.
• Regular Exercise: Regular physical exercise keeps cholesterol under control. It allows the heart to function optimally.
• Mental Peace: It is necessary to keep stress levels under check. This can be achieved through yoga and meditation.