Experts concerned over young adults becoming victims to heart attacks due to sedentary lifestyle

Mumbai, January 21, 2023 :

Heart attacks were once common in elderly people, but now it has become a huge concern because young adults are becoming victims due to sedentary lifestyle. Experts raise an alarm over the development saying that India is the country with the most people suffering from heart disease. Over the last few decades, the number of people at risk has nearly doubled with risk factors like abdominal fat or belly fat, malnutrition, poor sleep, anxiety or stress and smoking.

It is estimated that there are 2.25 million cases of cancer in India every year, which doubles every 10 years. Three quarters of these cancers are detected in the late stages and mortality rates are devastatingly high because of lack of access to standardized cancer care.

According to Palak Koradia, Founder, Health Hatch, “All of these reasons are the result of this generation's changing lifestyles. We've normalised sleeping late, bingeing on unhealthy snacks, eating at odd hours, and, most importantly, not sticking to a schedule. This has resulted not only in heart attacks, but also in an increased risk of Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), a deranged lipid profile, depression, anxiety, and so on.”

Health-Hatch is a wellness company run by qualified dietitians, which aims at helping people transform and adapt healthy lifestyle.

Experts have recommended that it is time to reflect on habits and improve overall lifestyle to safeguard from falling prey to diseases. Belly fat, also known as abdominal fat or obesity, is a major risk factor for heart attack in young people. According to a new American Heart Association report, even if your BMI is normal, if you have high-fat levels around your belly, you have a high chance of getting a heart attack.

According to studies, 47% of Indians are vitamin B12 deficient, and vitamin B12 deficiency is an independent risk factor for developing a heart attack. A lack of vitamin B12 raises serum homocysteine levels, which is linked to heart attacks.
A diet lacking zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin E has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Simultaneously, excessive consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, and salt (sodium) is known to harm heart health.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults who sleep for less than 7 hours per night are more likely to have a heart attack. This could be because a lack of sleep increases stress, causes you to be sedentary during the day, and leads to unhealthy food choices. All of these factors can increase fat deposition in the body, affecting your heart health.

It's impossible to avoid stress. Stress causes an increase in cortisol, also known as stress hormone, which causes fat deposition around the abdomen. Some of us are also prone to stress eating, which causes us to reach for unhealthy foods, thereby exceeding our caloric intake and increasing fat deposition in the body. Stress has also been linked to disruptions in our sleep cycle. All of this increases the likelihood of developing heart problems. Stress is also one of the causes of hypertension, or high blood pressure, in many young adults.

Another reason for a heart attack is high blood pressure.
Palak Koradia explains, “Interestingly, how you respond to stress significantly impacts your overall well-being. An observational study conducted by a group of psychologists concluded that stress affects individuals who allow themselves to believe that stress is negatively affecting them. As a result, it is critical to managing stress in order to minimize the health problems that it causes.”

According to a study done in 2020, nearly 60% of urban Indians are physically inactive or only mildly inactive, which increases the risk of heart disease. For a healthy heart, 150 minutes of exercise per week is recommended.

Cigarette smoking releases chemicals into the bloodstream that cause blood thickening and clot formation in arteries and veins. These clots cause blockages and, as a result, heart attacks. Tobacco is used by approximately 11.9% of young adults (18-24 years old). This is cause for concern. Pharmabiz