In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old suffered a heart attack while he was in the middle of a dance performance on the occasion of Ganeshotsav. This happened in Bishnah, Jammu and Kashmir and the video of the sudden heart attack of the youth is now making rounds on the internet. According to news reports, Yogesh Gupta was performing on Shiv Stuti during a jagran on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, in the village of Kothe Sainiya, Bishnah and was dressed up as Maa Parvati. (Also read: Comedian Raju Srivastava suffers heart attack in gym; is too much exercise bad for heart?)
The cases of sudden heart attacks have been on rise among young people but the cardiac death of a 20-year-old is even more surprising. Was it the loud music during the jagran, dancing in the presence of a live audience, or pre-existing heart condition that could have resulted in a heart attack in this case? We asked experts.
“This is absolutely not right that if you dance on loud music, it can lead to heart attack. Heart attack happens once there is clotting in the heart arteries. It can be due to some previously underlying blockages, sudden clots. So there are other causes for it and not dancing to loud music. People with underlying heart diseases have a sudden exertion and can cause some event, which can happen while dancing or running. Basic thing is we are not health-conscious people and don’t go to regular health check-ups which are required. Lifestyle, tobacco consumption, our eating habits—all these ultimately account for having these heart diseases,” says Dr. Udgeath Dhir, Director and Head – Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (Adult/Paediatrics), Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
SUDDEN HEART ATTACK IN YOUTH
Heart attacks are becoming common even among youth and a host of young celebrities in recent past have lost their life due to cardiac arrests. From Sidharth Shukla to KK, it’s sad to see apparently fit people succumbing to heart attacks.
“It’s really shocking when one hears of untimely demise of individuals in the prime of youth. Some usual suspects in sudden deaths especially during physical exertion in young include Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, Long QT Syndrome, WPW Syndrome and Coronary Artery Anamolies like Intraarterial course of Coronary Artery,” says Dr Kaushal Chattrapati, Consultant Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central.
“Loud sounds, as in festivals and discotheques can also cause sudden deaths, especially in youths with a vulnerable heart. Other risk factors responsible for cardiac death in youth are familial hyperlipedemia, tobacco and drug abuse and rare congenital cardiac anamolies leading to arrhythmia,” adds Dr Kaushal.
SUDDEN DEATHS PREVENTABLE
“Whilst most such sudden deaths are not preventable in the first instance because of unexpected presentation, any case of “near death” or “sudden cardiac death” should be extensively investigated by Cardiology Consultation, ECG, 2 D Echocardiography and other cardiac investigations as deemed fit. Many of the deaths are completely preventable. Many of these cases have a hereditary basis, so there is a case for testing the first-degree relatives and siblings of the index case too,” says Dr Kaushal.