The Cardiological Society of India recently held an awareness event on the occasion of World Heart Day, which is celebrated on September 29 every year. During this event, over 5,000 participating doctors observed that there is a significant rise in the number of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or heart attack cases in India, especially among young adults. They observed that not only does this make India the chronic heart disease (CHD) capital of the world, but also makes it vital for school kids to gain more knowledge about the dangers of the disease.
“We need to make the children in schools aware of the impending danger of chronic heart disease, so that when they grow up, they can be better citizens,” said Dr Rajiv Gupta, Convener of CSI-Preventive Cardiology Council and the Chairman of Preventive Cardiology, Internal Medicine and Research, Eternal Health Care Centre, Jaipur. The most common causes of CHD are pollution, depression, increased screen time, high sugar intake and lack of exercise, says Dr Gupta.
A change in lifestyle is also a major cause of chronic heart disease in India. “This is happening because of a remarkable change in lifestyle—lack of physical activity, eating a carb-rich diet—86 per cent of the diet is carbohydrates,” said Dr Debabrata Roy, Honorary General Secretary, CSI and a senior consulting interventional cardiologist.
*Image used for representative purpose only.