Post pandemic effect: Why middle aged in Bengaluru are witnessing spike in heart ailments

People aged between 20 and 40 in Bengaluru are witnessing a rise in heart-related ailments in the last two to three months that the experts predicts is a post pandemic effect.

Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences and Research (SJICR) said that the number of heart attacks among youngsters rose by 5 per cent in the last few months then that it was during the pre-pandemic times

Talking to Indian Express, Sr Manjunath said the pandemic created undue stress on youngsters to try being over-ambitious aiming to achieve many goals in aa short period of time, especially during unfavourable times.

Citing a study undertaken by SJICR between 2017 and 2019, Dr Manjunath said that most of the young you were diagnosed with cardiovascular ailments were habitual smokers , had high blood pressure and had a family history of heart ailments. Other non-conventional factors like stress, pollution, unhealthy lifestyle also contributed to the rise and needs immediate intervention.

Cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty said that Indians are three times more prone to heart attack than Europeans and Americans. The young and the employed are seeking bypass graft and developing heart related ailments like an epidemic, he added. Dr Shetty made smoking from a young age responsible for the rise in heart attacks.

According to r Praveen Sadarmin, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Narayana Health City in Bengaluru, the rise in cases of myocardial infarction is due to consumption of processed food, consumption of alcohol and smoking apart from Covid induced stress as a predominant factor . Narayana Health city Hospital witnessed admission of at least seven patients every month due to heart attacks in the last quarter.

Dr Sreekanth B Shetty, Senior Consultant and Head of Interventional Cardiology at Sakra world Hospital found most of his patients complained of pay cuts, job losses , reduced physical activities, weight gain and interrupted check-ups for heat-treated ailments among breadwinners in a family.

Divya Marina Fernandes, Consultant, Interventional Cardiology and Heart Failure Specialist, Aster RV Hospital fund work from home lifestyle has increased work pressure, hours of work, limited or no. breaks in between, disturbing sleep patterns causing undue stress. She advised youngsters to strike work-life balance , an exercise 30 minutes five days a week.