More and more teenagers, youth in Goa, experiencing Heart Attacks and CVD: GCHHR

PANAJI: The Global Centre for Human Health & Research (Pharma & Healthcare) or GCHHR in a press note issued on Saturday said that more and more youth and teenagers are experiencing heart attacks, cardiac disease and other related cardiac ailments in Goa due to stress and changes in lifestyle, sleeping patterns and food habits.

According to the Mumbai-based GCHHR, which conducted a survey in eight Goan colleges, even though heart attacks are typically associated with mid-aged or older adults, they can occur at any age and more and more teenagers are experiencing heart problems in several Indian states including Goa, with stress, diabetes and obesity
playing an important role in the increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Increasing consumption of alcohol, drugs, unsupervised health supplements and other food items is also one of the factors for the increasing incidence of CVD.

A similar observation was made recently by Prof Sushant Joshi, environmentalist and wellness expert with the Centre for Promoting Indian Economy (CPIE India).

In the United States, many people have health conditions (like obesity and high blood pressure) that raise the risk
of a heart attack even in their early 20s and 30s and similar traits are now being observed in various states including Goa, which has a high incidence of heart disease among the youth.

According to cardiologist and diabetologist, Dr Pranav Kabra, approximately 30 to 35 percent individuals between 35 to 50 years of age in India could have suffered silent heart attacks, without their knowledge or any symptoms showing up, yet lethal in the long run as the heart disease further worsens within the body. The numbers keep increasing year-on-year.

Silent heart attacks are more dangerous than normal heart attacks because patients – some of them very young and not expecting any heart trouble – are not aware that they have a heart problem and do not take immediate medical treatment, completely oblivious to the medical issues in their body.

According to Dr Kabra, some patients could never know they have just suffered a silent heart attack, thus deferring or never taking appropriate treatment and care, causing blockages and impediments to grow and flourish inside the
body.

The number of 30 to 40-year-olds undergoing angioplasties has shot up drastically and water and air pollution is also to blame, claims Joshi.

The average age of heart attack patients in most hospitals today is in the range of 35 to 55 years, the GCHHR said in an observation, adding that the number of 25-year-olds with CVD has gone up by 25 percent in the last decade.