One of the major causes of mortality globally, heart disease is often linked to older persons. However, new research has indicated that heart disease is becoming more common in younger age groups, especially among members of Generation Z who are health-conscious and often follow rigorous exercise or dieting regimes. Although these actions may seem advantageous at first glance, they may significantly strain the heart and raise the risk of heart attacks.
“Gen Z” refers to today’s 15 to 24 year olds, according to Dr. Vaibhav Dedhia, MD, DNB (Cardiology), SR Interventional Cardiologist at Bhatia Hospital Mumbai. Recent days have seen an increase in heart attack incidents among the youthful generation and those who have achieved great success quickly; those who have climbed the success ladder quickly. People no longer have heart issues or attacks until they are 60 to 70 years old. Heart attacks have been shown to occur earlier among higher socioeconomic level Indians than in Western nations.
WHAT IS CAUSING HEART ATTACKS IN YOUNG ADULTS?
Young people and even kids as young as 15 years old are increasingly being diagnosed with heart attacks. The cause has to do with how we live our lives and how we eat, both of which have an impact on how healthy our hearts are. We see young kids with heart disease at a very young age for a number of reasons, including inactivity and being dependent on electronic devices. It is crucial to understand that heart blockage symptoms do not manifest immediately; rather, they appear gradually over time and, if left untreated, might result in a violent attack. Frequent urine and a strong need to drink water are signs of diabetes, according to Dr. Rahul Chhabria, a consultant cardiologist at Bhatia Hospital in Mumbai.
Young people who are overweight and have a family history of heart disease should be checked for heart-related conditions as soon as possible. “Also, for those whose diet does not include regular habit of eating fruits and leafy vegetables but consume lots of fast food and high cholesterol food should be go for regular heart checks and find out their cholesterol levels,” says Dr. Chhabria.
Some of these young individuals come from families where heart disease runs in the family. Dr. Dedhia relates a story: “Recently I saw a 22-year-old male who complained of stomach discomfort. After an examination, it was discovered that he had minor infarcts in both his left kidney and small intestine. When his heart was examined, it was discovered that a piece of it had infarcted, causing a blood clot to develop in the heart cavity and emboli to spread to other bodily organs. He had inconsistent and lengthy work hours, little sleep, and a heavy consumption of fried street food as risk factors.
The significance of routine health examinations
Regular health examinations may stop these occurrences from occuring. Young people are being identified with risk factors including high blood pressure and diabetes more often. In order to avoid cardiac events, high cholesterol levels must be treated quickly. In these young people, the need of getting 7-8 hours of good sleep must be stressed.
The chairman and MD of TRUSTlab Diagnostics, Venkata Suman Cherukuri, adds that members of Generation Z are recognized for being health-conscious. But the startling truth is that they hardly comprehend the value of routine medical exams. It makes sense to have frequent health checks since Indians have smaller coronary arteries than Westerners, making them more susceptible to heart problems. The idea of a complete yearly checkup, however, is foreign to 20 and 30-year-olds.
Regular health checks and screenings may alert us to possible illnesses, such as heart problems. If we fall into the high-risk area for cardiac conditions, they will let us know. Heart disease symptoms often only appear if the condition has progressed significantly. The likelihood of having a heart attack may be determined by tests that check one’s lipid profile, homocysteine levels, lipoprotein, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), among other things. Consider the lipoprotein (A) test as an example. According to the Indian Heart Association, LDL cholesterol, one of the most hazardous forms of poor cholesterol, may raise our risk for heart disease and stroke by up to 100 times. Regular testing for lipoprotein (A), which are elevated levels that indicate a greater risk of heart disease, may help us take preventative actions, says Cherukuri.
It is crucial to remember that the test findings must be examined by a qualified medical practitioner in combination with a number of other criteria. Even for the health-conscious who fall into the high-risk group, screenings such as the ECG, 2D echocardiography, stress test, and CT scan for coronary calcium are advised. “Some people who are physically well but genetically inclined to have a small aortic valve may also have cardiac circulation abnormalities, such as electrical irregularities and the incorrect sinuses from which the heart’s arteries emerge. Regular health examinations, especially those pertaining to cardiac health, may greatly delay the onset of heart issues under these conditions, according to Cherukuri.
Unfortunately, we sometimes just think about fitness as gym routines to have the ideal figure. “People seldom ever recognize the need of yearly health exams. Because of this, we are astonished to witness otherwise healthy individuals have a heart attack. Cherukuri ends by saying, “Remember: sometimes a six-pack may mask a weak heart.