Physicians in Bengaluru are seeing a worrisome increase in the number of bypass procedures performed on people in their 30s—a development that was previously uncommon for this age group. These procedures have historically been more common in patients 60 years of age or older, but during the last ten years, there has been a noticeable rise in their frequency, attributed to sedentary lifestyles, stress, and poor eating habits.
Over the past ten years, there has been a 30% increase in bypass surgeries among patients in their early to mid-30s, with an annual increase of roughly 5%, according to Dr. Sudarshan GT, senior consultant in cardiothoracic vascular surgery at Fortis Hospital. He stresses how concerning this trend is because heart attacks, which are usually associated with aging, are now commonly reported in younger, apparently healthier populations.
Bypass surgery is typically required when the heart has numerous clogged blood arteries, which frequently leads to heart attacks. This is mostly because of lifestyle issues, says Dr. Narendra V, a consultant in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Manipal Hospital. Heart disease is mostly preventable in younger individuals through high levels of stress, poor dietary choices, and inactive lifestyles. This generation has become less heart-healthy generally because many of them eat more calories than they expend and rely largely on processed foods.
This problem has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic; since the pandemic started, doctors have seen an increase in younger people having bypass procedures and heart attacks. Dr. Sudarshan emphasizes that this spike has probably been caused by the pandemic’s effects as well as higher stress levels and less physical exercise.
Senior cardiac consultant Dr. Abhijit Kulkarni of Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals emphasizes the significance of early identification and lifestyle modifications in preventing heart disease in youth. He cautions that many younger people fail to recognize the warning signs of a heart attack, frequently confusing them for less serious problems like acidity. Treatment delays can result in potentially fatal circumstances. Dr. Kulkarni urges further public education on heart attack symptoms and the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle choices in order to counteract this.
The chairman of Kauvery Hospital’s interventional cardiology department, Dr. Deepak Krishnamurthy, emphasizes further that patients under 40 years old now account for 25% of all heart attacks. Many of these young patients need stenting and angioplasty; bypass surgery is usually saved for more complicated instances. This change is a sign of the younger population’s increasing heart health crisis.
The increase in young people undergoing bypass surgery highlights the critical need for preventive interventions, such as improved lifestyle choices, stress reduction techniques, and more public knowledge of heart health issues.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
