Mumbai: Two die of heart attack after garba; doctors debunk vaccine link

With the death of two men from heart attack after playing garba, rumours about the possible link between Covid vaccine and risk of heart attack have again come to the fore. Mid-Day had in July reported about experts raising concerns about the rise in heart attack incidents after Covid infection or vaccination. Cardiac experts from the city, however, have now pointed at sudden aggressive physical activity as a possible reason behind the attacks. They added that more research is required to see if there is a link between heart attacks and vaccination.

Doctors warned youth to be careful while playing garba. They said there is an increased chance of heart attack if there is severe physical activity after a period of lull as it puts stress on the heart. The medical experts also suggested regular check-ups for those with comorbid conditions or a family history of heart diseases.

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The deaths

Both the deaths took place last Saturday. In one incident, Manish Kumar Jain, 35, a Virar West resident, died after suffering a heart attack. According to the police, Jain felt uneasy after playing garba for a while and went back home. As his condition did not improve, his brother and father took him to Sanjeevani Hospital. Jain collapsed after reaching the emergency ward. Seeing this, his father Narpat also collapsed. Doctors declared both of them dead. Assistant Commissioner of Police Chandrakant Jadhav confirmed that both of them died due to heart attack.

Doctors advised maintaining a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise apart from health check-ups to reduce risk of heart attacks. Representation pic

In the other incident, 26-year-old Dombivli Resident Rishabh Lahri Mange died after playing garba at a Mulund ground. He complained of chest pain around 9 pm and was taken to Aditi Hospital. Doctors declared him dead on arrival, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Prashant Kadam. Recently a 41-year-old man, too, had died after dancing during Ganpati immersion procession in Kandivli.

Is there a vaccine link?

Amid speculations that more people are suffering from heart attacks due to vaccination or Covid infection, city doctors have refuted the claims. Cardiac doctors said it was too early to predict a link between the two and that there was a need for in-depth research on the same. All of them, instead, pointed at sedentary lifestyle as a possible reason.

Senior cardiologist Dr Prashant Mishra said, "Unless there is research on the topic that establishes a connection between the two, we can't say heart attacks are happening due to Covid vaccines. It has been observed that there are issues of blockage in the coronary arteries in younger people due to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. If such a person plays garba or does any extreme workout or physical activity, the overexertion creates a huge pulse of adrenaline. This can lead to increase in blood pressure as well as heart rate, thus inducing a heart attack or even sudden death. So, one needs to be very careful about this."

Dr Anil Sharma, professor and head of department, cardiology at Bombay Hospital, told mid-day, "It is very difficult to say whether the deaths happened because of the Covid vaccine. In other countries, blood clots due to vaccines are seen in very few people. But we can't draw any conclusion now. We need to conduct research and studies to determine this."

Young but vulnerable

"But one thing that's sure is that heart attacks in the younger population are going up. In most cases, we have seen people suffer heart attacks during dancing, working out and running, all of which involve intense physical activity. If an individual is not involved in physical activities throughout the year and suddenly becomes active during garba or a marathon even a gym, they are doing something which their body is not used to. It will increase blood pressure which can lead to rupture of arteries which can be fatal. These days, multiple factors such as pollution, unhealthy diet, and no physical activity are affecting our bodies. And these lead to several health problems," Dr Sharma said. mid-day had on August 24 reported about the rise in heart attack among young people.

Dr Rishikesh Patil, cardiologist at Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, told mid-day, "Incidence of heart attack is going up in younger people, and the most primary reason is urbanisation. Our body is adapted to living with limited resources. But due to urbanisation, we have plenty of resources in terms of food. We are consuming more and more calories while physical activity has taken a backseat. This is the reason our population is getting prone to heart diseases at a younger age. Then there are those with a family history of heart ailments. We also see some cases where young ones who indulge in drugs and smoking are getting heart attacks or cardiac arrests."

Speaking about precautionary measures, Dr Mishra said, "Anybody aged above 35 and having a family history of heart ailments should go for a treadmill stress test. This is applicable for those suffering from diabetes and hypertension as well. This test will help identify any abnormalities in blood flow to the heart. And if there are doubts still, one can opt for angiography too." Doctors also stressed on the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise to remain fit.