Date:17/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/17/stories/2004051708770300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Heart disease among young people rising

By K. Satyamurty

BANGALORE, MAY 16. Cardiologists in Bangalore are finding more cases of people in the sub-30 age group coming with heart diseases.

"Earlier, we used to get one or two cases of young men in their twenties with cardiac problems. Now, we get as many or more each month," says B.G. Muralidhara, chief cardiologist at Trinity Hospital. By 2025, heart disease may rank among the top three killers in the country.

"It is not impossible to have heart attacks in your twenties and it is becoming more common among those in the 30 to 45 age group," says Dr. Muralidhara and others in the profession. At the same time, he emphasises that a heart attack is not the end of the road and after surgery and with regular medication and lifestyle changes, a person who has recovered from an attack can still have many long years of productive life.

"Because heart attacks are now hitting at an earlier age when a person is at the peak of his career, prevention has become very important," says Dr. Muralidhara who practised in Melbourne, Australia, before returning home.

Though no demographic studies are available for Bangalore, cardiologists find that many younger heart patients come from professions with highly demanding working hours. Many patients are software professionals and others are from the BPO sector, including call centre employees. "The common factor is that they work long hours with little rest and no time for healthy eating or regular exercise.

Combined with the genetic disposition of Indians, such a lifestyle can lead to obesity which in turn predisposes a person to diabetes or heart disease or both," he says. IT firms which have cafeterias and fast food kiosks should also have in-house gyms and make their employees use them.

Annual check-ups after age 40 is a must.

Getting immediate help and treatment within the first 15 minutes after a heart attack is considered important. Most hospitals do not have paramedics with ambulances and this delays treatment. On the positive side, patients can still recover with proper care.

Cardiologists today try alternatives to bypass surgeries. "Only 10 per cent of heart attack victims in the West undergo a bypass in the West and 90 per cent can be treated with angioplasty and the latest drug-exuding-stents, to correct blocked blood vessels," says Dr. Muralidhara.

Such methods require minimal surgery with the stent introduced through a blood vessel in the leg. This means less hospital stay and related expenses.

Diet is important for those at risk or those who already have heart disease to avoid saturated fats of the kind found in coconut oil, ghee, and vanaspati. Red wine is preferable to stronger alcoholic drinks and seafood is recommended for non-vegetarians.