Heart Attacks Among Teens A Worrying Trend

New Delhi: After a spate of deaths due to heart attacks of men in their 40s last year, the deaths of two teenagers due to suspected heart attacks were reported recently. A 15-year-old lost his life due to a heart attack in Greater Noida while playing in school, while a 16-year-old boy died of suspected cardiac arrest in Telangana.

In this context, doctors across several states told News18 that it’s important for parents and teachers to recognise, prevent, and treat these sudden events. “Cases of teens suddenly collapsing after exerting physical effort make the news oftentimes. Fortunately, these types of cardiac events don’t happen as often as it may seem,” Dr Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, a paediatrician at Faridabad-based Amrita Hospital, told News18. “Sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) in young people is rare but not unheard of. When it does happen, it often leads to death if it’s not treated within minutes.”

Dhaliwal said that paediatric sudden cardiac death occurs in fewer than three out of every 100,000 children. “And about 25 cases occur during heavy exercise and sports, as per Western data. In comparison, sudden cardiac death occurs in about 135 of every 100,000 adults.” According to experts, such incidents have increased following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. It has been established by several studies across the globe that even a mild COVID-19 infection has harmful effects on cardiovascular health, News18 reported.

“We did see an increase in the number of cases of post-Covid myocarditis after the pandemic peaked but could this be the cause of the increased risk of sudden cardiac death, I am not sure,” Dr Sushil Azad, deputy head of the department of paediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart diseases, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad told News 18, adding that another reason especially in young adults (above 25) could be the increased incidence of coronary artery disease, especially with risk factors.”

According to Dr Aparna Jaswal, director, cardiac pacing and electrophysiology, at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, the reason for the increase amongst the young is largely lifestyle diseases. We do understand that the COVID pandemic has done something to the blood vessels of the body and an increase in heart attacks can be attributable to it. There is an increase in the incidence of coronary artery disease and problems in the post-Covid era. The coronavirus has made us vulnerable to developing more instances of these problems., she was quoted as saying.

“We are dealing with 3-4 young patients around 25-35 years of age coming to our emergencies every month. Advanced treatments are available now, but as a preventive measure, we strongly recommend wider cardiac screening in high schools, colleges, and even among athletes. Screening should include a review of risk factors, blood pressure, heart-related symptoms, family history, and stress-related issues,” Dr Munna Das, cardiology, adult and electrophysiology, Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Howrah told News18.

For Dr Anand Kumar Pandey, director, of interventional cardiology at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, the trend is “concerning” and “coronary artery disease is the most common issue”.

“Additionally, abnormal enlargement of cardiac muscle cells, leading to heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, angina, and increased heart attack risk, is a severe condition observed among the young population,” he was quoted as saying, adding that ignorance towards a healthy lifestyle is a significant cause along with other risk factors including poor diet, obesity, and physical inactivity.

What can be done?

Know your family history as this may help in predicting and thus preventing such events.
Wider cardiac screening in high schools and colleges.
Every school teacher or physical trainer, gym trainer, or school sports teacher has updated basic life support training also known as BLS training.
Teachers or physical trainers must also know about using AED (automated external defibrillator), an automated instrument which recognises abnormal, life-threatening heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.
Getting a medical fitness certificate from a doctor or a paediatrician is very important, for any sports activity.
Parents must inform the doctor about the family history of early sudden cardiac death (before the age of 50).