The young and the vulnerable

Poor lifestyle choices and stress lead to rising heart ailments

September 29, 2014 12:33 am | Updated April 20, 2016 06:34 am IST

Asians, particularly Indians, suffer heart attacks a decade before their peers in the West do, various studies have reported.

Twenty two per cent of all patients who came with acute heart attack to the hospital where I work and were taken up for primary angioplasty (clearing blocks and placing a stent) were below 40 years; most of them techies. This is not meant to frighten the young, but to provide a wake-up call. The earlier they report to cardiologists, the better are the outcomes.

Major non-modifiable causes for heart attacks among the young are genetic predisposition leading to premature coronary artery disease, and anatomical abnormalities such as dilated coronary arteries, called ectasia with prothrombotic (easy clot-forming) tendency.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood lipid levels, excessive weight, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, habitual consumption of fast foods and excessive alcohol intake are conventional risk factors. In the case of techies other risk factors such as long working hours, work stress, night shifts, long commutes, deadline pressures, career competition and unpredictable overseas assignments affect productivity and increase healthcare costs.

A study conducted by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations revealed that employee sickness costs companies an average of 14 per cent of annual working days. The study also revealed that by reducing at least one risk factor, an employee’s productivity can be increased by 9 per cent and absenteeism reduced by 2 per cent.

It is time for corporate groups to focus on additional measures. They can arrange gym facilities, counselling sessions, talks by experts, dietary advice, heart-healthy diets, flexible working hours, recreation and mandatory vacation to relieve stress to some extent.

Incidence of heart attacks among the youth can be prevented and reduced through a host of measures. The young should be educated about the risk factors through awareness programmes. They should stop smoking and avoid exposure to passive smoking.

They should watch their weight and abdominal girth. There should be dietary discipline: avoid fatty foods and eat at regular intervals. Alcohol consumption should be moderated or avoided.

The importance of regular exercise and outdoor games cannot be overstated. Gym facilities at the workplace, yoga and meditation sessions will be useful. Employees must be provided recreation facilities, and an annual vacation should be mandatory.

Keep high blood pressure, diabetes and lipids under control. Annual medical checkups should become mandatory.

This year the focus of the World Heart Day is on a “heart-healthy environment.” Hopefully, corporates, including those in the IT industry, will strive to create such an environment in workplaces.

(A recipient of the Padma Shri, the author is an interventional cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. He can be reached at isathya@hotmail.com)

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