50 percent of men affected by heart attack are under 50 years of age in India: Study

Bengaluru: According to the Indian Heart Association, 50% of all heart attack victims in India are men under 50 years of age and 25% are under 40 years of age. In the last one year, awareness and concerns regarding heart issues have increased owing to the sudden death of some well-known male personalities due to a heart attack or cardiac arrest.

Taking a closer look, Practo Insights revealed a 300% increase in cardiology related online consultations in men compared to last year while in-person appointments with cardiologists grew by 150% for the same period.

From this, close to 60% of both online and in-person cardiology related consultations were from men, aged between 21 and 40. And nearly 40% of all online cardiology related consultations were from men living in non-metro cities.

The majority of queries were on 'cardiac arrest', 'heart attack', 'coronary artery disease', 'how COVID-19 affects heart patients" and "What are symptoms one should look out for in case of heart attacks?"

Dr A. N. Patnaik, a cardiologist, said, "The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle; atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque within an artery wall; (CAD= Coronary artery disease) is the most troublesome and can be fatal if not treated in time. In recent times, we are seeing that it's more common in men.

Certain factors like smoking, diabetes, hypertension, excess ingestion of a high cholesterol diet, physical inactivity, obesity and some genetic factors enhance the likelihood of developing CAD and other heart related issues. It is important to regularly exercise and watch sleep patterns. Sugar, oil, and salt intake should be controlled. They should regularly take medications for diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol even if they have no symptoms and cooperate with the doctors to reach the desired goals."

Chief Health Strategy Officer, Practo, Dr Alexander Kuruvilla said, "India is known to have the highest cases of heart disease patients in the world, and heart related issues among men have become more prevalent in the last couple of years. Heart disease is a chronic medical condition that needs meticulous management. And a patient needs to have access to all the necessary facilities to manage heart related conditions. At Practo, we are focused on improving healthcare delivery in a way that is accessible and affordable for the patients across the country so they can live healthier lives longer. And digital healthcare has provided patients with a potent solution to seek help instantly with a verified doctor 24x7."

According to the Indian Heart Association, heart disease is the number one cause of mortality and a silent epidemic among Indians claiming nearly three million lives every year. The biggest reason for people losing their lives due to heart ailments in India is attributed to lack of awareness about the prevailing condition and the reluctance or delay in seeking adequate medical attention. Hence, it becomes all the more important to understand the cardiac symptoms and seek timely help.