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Heart attacks rising among young adults

A 16-year-old first PUC student, in Bengaluru, recently had to check into a cardiac facility after suffering from chest discomfort. Ranjan S (name changed) was taken aback when the doctors informed him that he was treated for a heart attack. This happened despite him maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a no-cigarette case history.
Yes, it’s a worrisome example, because his is not a one-off case. Of late, Bengaluru’s cardiologists have recorded an increase in the number of Premature Coronary Artery Disease (PCAD) cases among people in the younger age group. The PCAD registry, maintained by Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, has disclosed that over the past two years, over 2,400 cases of heart attack have been recorded among patients under the age of 40. Out of these, 1,250 fresh heart attack cases have been reported among patients below 35 years. Is our heart giving up on us earlier? A Bengaluru-based cardiologist is taking stock of this disturbing trend with the help of what is touted to be the country’s first heart attack registry.
Young age heart attack comes with no warning signs
Apparently, heart attacks at a younger age come without any signs of warning. “Over the past two years, we have had nearly 111 deaths among patients below the age of 40, mainly because there were no symptoms of a potential heart problem,” Doctor further explains.
Cases have been linked to air pollution and dietary patterns
Yes, it is not only because of bad lifestyle and stress. Pollution and high-carb diet might also have a critical role to play in the upsurge of heart attacks. “More than what young adults eat, it’s the timing that can cause more health issues. Late lunch and dinner, with huge portions of carbs and meats is a worrying eating pattern,” the expert warns. Statistics show that drivers comprise nearly 24% of the heart attack cases, followed by professionals who spend almost an hour commuting in peak traffic every day. “The angiographic profile of these patients showed high levels of haemoglobin (as high as 18-19 g/dl). However, we need to do a proper population study to have a better understanding of these trends,”