Following the COVID-19 outbreak, thousands of Indians died from heart attacks since 2020 when the pandemic started . The National Crime Records Bureau reported 12.5% more heart attacks in 2022 than 2021.
Indian celebrities and youngsters have died from heart attacks after the COVID-19 pandemic. Is another heart failure pandemic coming?
In the latest incidence, Class IX student Yogesh Singh fainted on his way to class at a private school in Jaipur and died of probable heart arrest.
In Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, a 13-year-old Class VII kid died after a heart attack while walking to school a week earlier.
Following many collapses at Garba festivities during Navratri in Gujarat, at least 10 persons died of heart attacks. According to reports, the youngest victim was 17.
‘Golmaal’ actor Shreyas Talpade (47) and Bollywood diva and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen (47) survived heart attacks, while Harikanth, 33, died of a cardiac arrest in July.
According to the NCRB, heart attack deaths rose 12.5% in 2022 compared to 2021. The research showed 32,457 heart attack deaths in 2022, up from 28,413 in 2021.
Post-Covid-19 investigations have linked the virus to impaired heart function. Japanese researchers anticipated a “heart failure pandemic” from COVID-19 in a recent study.
The Mainichi said that Riken researchers, Japan’s largest scientific institute, found that covid infections increase the chance of heart failure from persistent viral infection in the heart even without heart disease.
Some have linked it to COVID-19 immunization, however the WHO, US CDC, and ICMR deny it. The studies suggest that persons lacking COVID-19 vaccination are more likely to develop heart problems and that the injections are safe.
High-sodium diets, lack of exercise, smoking, binge drinking, sedentary lifestyles, and others raise heart attack risk, experts say.
Health professionals say high haemoglobin levels increase heart attack, stroke, and blood clot risk. Bone marrow disorders cause polycythemia, which increases red blood cells. Overgrowth of cells slows blood flow and can cause blood clots.
“High haemoglobin levels should not be ignored as they can increase the risk of blood clotting and lead to stroke, heart attack, and leg and abdominal blood clots,” said Dr. Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
Doctors warn against overexercising due to physical stress and problems.
“Severe Covid survivors often experience lingering physical stress and complications that can significantly impact their overall health and well-being,” Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Director & HOD, Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad, told I
Kumar said physical stressors might cause respiratory issues, cardiovascular issues, exhaustion, muscle and joint discomfort, neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal issues, and smell and taste alterations.
Doctor Ashwani Maichand, Director of the Orthopaedics Department at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, stated blind ambition and ignored tiredness can overwhelm muscles, joints, and the heart.
He condemned “unrealistic exercise trends, inadequate guidance, and ignoring underlying medical conditions”.
“We need a fitness ecosystem that promotes informed training, respects individual thresholds, and recognises overexertion,” Maichand added.
Conclusion
Celebrities and schoolchildren in India have died from heart attacks after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, heart attack deaths rose 12.5% from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Japanese researchers predicted a “heart failure pandemic” after Covid-19 was linked to poor heart function. Global health authorities like the WHO, US CDC, and ICMR deny the link. A high-sodium diet, lack of exercise, smoking, binge drinking, and sedentary lifestyle raise heart attack risk. Heart attack, stroke, and blood clots are also linked to high hemoglobin. Doctors advise against overexercising due to physical stress and problems. Blind ambition and untreated tiredness can overwhelm muscles, joints, and the heart. Our fitness ecosystem must promote intelligent training, respect individual thresholds, and detect overexertion red signals.
