It was quite a surprise to me to read that myocardial infarction or “heart attack” as it is commonly known is increasing among young adults and is in fact reaching epidemic proportions.
And it seems many young adults, especially men, routinely do a health check-up even if they have no symptoms, because someone near or dear has suddenly succumbed to the disease.
But despite this, doctors say the vast majority of youngsters and young adults fail to identify the warning signs, which occasionally lead to tragic outcomes.
In the UAE for instance, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is striking younger people. Those aged between 34 and 45, with Asian expatriates and Indian expatriates being the most vulnerable.
In a recent clinical study by Aster Hospitals, Dubai of 142 patients who were referred to their Cardiac Cath Laboratory with manifestation of CAD, 106 were under the age of 55.
Nearly 66.2 per cent of the patients were Indians with 14.2pc being from Pakistan.
Other expatriates were from Bangladesh, the Philippines, UK, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Serbia.
“Heart disease is striking nearly a decade earlier in people of the Indian subcontinent. This study is based on pure empirical data and it is a cause for concern that now 30-40- year-olds are stricken by CAD,” says cardiologist Dr Sachin Upadhyaya,
The main cause for worry is the fact that the mean age for CAD in this region is much lower than the rest of the world where the high risk group falls in the age group of 55 and above.
The study corroborates data from previous studies that indicate that Asian males, especially from the Indian subcontinent, have a genetic predisposition to cardio vascular and coronary artery diseases.
While age, gender and genetics are non-modifiable factors, other factors such as life style changes, five servings of fruits and vegetables, healthier diets with high nutritional value, cutting out smoking, getting physical exercise and reducing stress levels are things that can be modified and have a great impact on reduction of the incidence of CAD.
“In the index of symptoms in our study we found that people who were diabetics, were smokers or suffered from high cholesterol, hypertension and other conditions were high risk category and had developed CAD earlier,” says Aster Hospitals medical director Dr V. Ramanathan.
The doctors cautioned that the younger generation that normally thinks itself to be invincible needs to be educated and must go in for earlier preventive checks.
Figures from the National Health Survey show that between 2014 and 2015 there were 12,000 people between the ages of 18 to 40 with ischaemic heart disease and another 12,000 with other forms of heart disease including heart failure.
In addition 80,000 have an irregular heart rhythm and 11,500 have cerebrovascular disease!
To be fair, when I hear ‘coronary artery disease’ I immediately think of people in their 60s, 70s, and beyond!
But obviously young adult hearts need attention and care too!
Reem Antoon is a former GDN news editor. She can be reached on: clanmun4@gmail.com