DNA Explainer: Why are heart attacks increasing in people below 50? Reason for spike in cardiac arrest cases

In recent times, many notable Indian celebrities have died due to heart attacks. What sent shockwaves through the country was that many of these actors, like Nitesh Pandey and Sidharth Shukla, were in their late 40s or early 50s, deeming them young for heart afflictions.

After the death of TV actor Nitesh Pandey at the age of 53 due to sudden cardiac arrest, it was noticed that many people have died due to heart attacks in the last two years, despite being under the age of 50.

According to the Indian Heart Association, 50 percent of all heart attacks in Indian men occur under the age of 50 or 50 years. Most of these deaths are due to sudden cardiac arrest. For the unversed, sudden cardiac arrest means that the heart stops working without any warning or any previous symptoms.

According to research and studies, 50 percent of all heart attacks in men occur before the age of 50. Further, 1 out of 5 heart attacks in the country happens to a person who is under the age of 50. Know the reason behind increased heart attacks in young people.

Why people under 50 are having heart attacks?

First of all, there is a major genetic component to heart disease. This means that if heart diseases run in your family, there is a higher risk of you suffering a cardiac arrest at a young age. This can be prevented if you lead an active lifestyle and follow a healthy diet.

Another factor is the high level of cholesterol cases in India. According to doctors, the body of Indians is genetically very sensitive to accumulating bad cholesterol and triglycerides. High cholesterol and triglycerides are extremely bad for the heart, increasing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

The risk of heart attack is higher in diabetic patients than in others. According to statistics, about 7.7 crore people above 18 years of age are living with diabetes in India. At the same time, around 2.5 crore people are pre-diabetic. This means that they are at a greater risk of developing diabetes in the near future.

Another component that contributes to cardiac arrest in young people is high-intensity workouts or gymming. While going to the gym is a healthy lifestyle choice, extremely high-intensity workouts can increase your heart rate and blood pressure beyond control, leading to a sudden heart attack.

A sedentary lifestyle is also the reason behind increased heart attacks in young people. Lack of activity and proper functioning, due to Work From Home and Covid lockdown, has caused heart diseases in a lot of youngsters.

READ | Anupamaa actor Nitesh Pandey dies of a cardiac arrest at 51, here's how can you prevent this