DoctorSpeak: Why heart attacks are rising among the young

At 34, Mohali-based Pranav is suffering from various lifestyle diseases, including hypertension and diabetes. The IT professional also suffers from anxiety and insomnia. Employed with a US-based company, he keeps late hours in accordance with American working hours. Add to this his smoking habit and the use of recreational cocaine, it was hardly surprising when he was rushed to Emergency after a heart attack. An urgent angioplasty saved his life.

The near-fatal experience was a wake-up call for Pranav. With counselling and family support, he quit smoking and drugs, adopted a balanced diet, started exercising daily and lost five-kg weight. Having a healthy lifestyle has helped him go off almost all his medicines. He just takes one tablet now to control his blood pressure.

Another young woman (28) came to my OPD with chest pain. She was hypertensive, pre-diabetic, and also struggling with hormonal imbalance that had caused weight gain. Fortunately, these medical issues had not impacted her heart yet, though all the warning signs were there. She was advised to shed weight, exercise, and adopt a healthier diet. Six months later, after an eight-kg weight loss, her blood pressure and sugar levels are within the normal range, and she no longer needs to take medicines.

In recent years, a large number of young people are turning up at OPDs or hospitals with many such worrying symptoms. For a long time, heart problems were seen in an older population. But in past two decades, the patient profile with cardiac problems has gone younger.

Studies consistently show that Indians experience heart disease symptoms, as well as heart attacks, decades earlier than Western populations, with significantly higher rates of heart disease in younger age groups.

In my practice, I increasingly see young men and women in their twenties and thirties arriving in the OPD — sometimes with vague complaints, sometimes with serious cardiac emergencies.

Over the past two decades, lifestyle changes, rising stress, long working hours, compromised sleep cycles, unhealthy eating habits and an alarming rise in screen time have combined to create a dangerous public health emergency, especially among the young.

The reasons are obvious. Sleep cycles have been thrown off balance by work-from-home setups and international time zones. The body’s natural circadian rhythm is disrupted, leading to long-term consequences. Stress and anxiety disorders are becoming common, feeding into hypertension and other risks.

Diet, too, has undergone a transformation. The traditional Indian diet has been replaced by processed, packaged or ready-to-eat foods, high in fat, sugar, salt and preservatives. Eating out is on the rise. Obesity is rising even among children and adolescents, many of whom go on to develop diabetes, hypertension and other lifestyle diseases in their twenties and thirties.

At the other extreme is the gym culture. While exercising is essential, many youngsters exercise excessively, chasing unrealistic body images, taking high-protein diets or unsupervised protein supplements. Such practices put unnecessary stress on the heart, kidneys, affecting metabolism, creating new health risks.

Consumption of alcohol, recreational drugs like cocaine, synthetic stimulants and smoking have also increased sharply, adding to the disease load.

The silver lining is that awareness is also rising among the young. Most do not overlook symptoms like chest pain, palpitations or unusual fatigue and do seek medical advice.

Viral videos of young celebrities collapsing during dance performances or at the gym have played their part in increasing awareness. All of these cases, though, were not due to heart attacks, as undiagnosed conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or aortic valve disease could have been among the probable causes. However, these have at least started conversations.

Covid, vaccines and fear

Another frequently asked question is whether Covid or the vaccines have triggered an increase in heart problems. There are theories linking them to clot formation, but the truth is, conclusive evidence is still awaited. Long-term studies are ongoing, and until results are final, it would be premature to draw a direct connection.

With awareness, lifestyle correction and timely medical intervention, young people can avoid heart problems. Those who do get affected, early detection and lifestyle changes can put them back on the track to a healthy life. The only weapons in this fight are knowledge, vigilance and commitment to a healthier living.

— The writer is Director, Cardiology, Shalby Hospital, Mohali

The way forward

The solution lies in a disciplined lifestyle. By eating wisely, exercising in moderation for 30 minutes a minimum of 5 days a weeks, sleeping at least eight hours in line with your circadian rhythm, managing stress, and avoiding smoking and drugs, we can safeguard heart health even during most high-pressure times.

Factcheck: The theme of World Heart Day 2025, which falls on September 29, is ‘Don’t Miss a Beat’. The focus remains on creating awareness among people to be vigilant about their heart health, take consistent action, stay proactive with check-ups, and prioritise heart-friendly habits to prevent cardiovascular disease.