Barely in his 40s, designer Rohit Bal suffered a heart attack on february 23. While his family attributed it to anxiety, it could very well be the result of incessant partying. Known to work hard and party harder, Bal represents the face of young-and-restless India. active gets docs to reveal how and why painting the town red can actually leave you feeling ill
Barely in his 40s, designer Rohit Bal suffered a heart attack on february 23. While his family attributed it to anxiety, it could very well be the result of incessant partying. Known to work hard and party harder, Bal represents the face of young-and-restless India. active gets docs to reveal how and why painting the town red can actually leave you feeling ill
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Veteran fashion designer Rohit Bal, who reputedly wears the wild child tag like a badge of honour, underwent an emergency angioplasty last month. Certain reports claimed that Bal's family felt his chest pain was brought on by anxiety while his boyfriend Lalit Tehlan admitted that the designer had been suffering from high blood pressure and kept preventive medication at hand in anticipation of a heart attack. Naresh Trehan, cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon at New Delhi's Medanta Medicity, the medical facility where Bal sought treatment, put Bal's condition down to genetics.
In December last year, the heart-failure-related-death of an ostensibly healthy 22-year-old Russian movie star brought to light the fact that the incidence of heart attacks in young Russian men has increased tenfold in the last two decades. "Not our problem," you might be inclined to say, when you come across these articles in the news, but it in fact is. According to a report from Disease Control Priorities Project, a World Bank initiative, "India is experiencing an alarming increase in heart disease, which seems to be linked to changes in lifestyle and diet, rapid urbanisation, and possibly an underlying genetic component."
The experts we spoke to, all seem to concur that the changes in the landscape of urban lifestyle -- the increased consumption of alcohol and junk food, drug abuse as well as excessive partying leading to lack of sleep -- all contribute to an increased risk of heart diseases among the youth. Can we reverse the trend? They certainly seem to think so, provided we make the effort to change our lifestyle.
Evils of modernism can be combated with ayurveda
Head of the Department of Cardiology at the Nanavati Heart Institute, Dr Lekha Pathak, feels, "Today's youth is suffering from the evils of modernisation; 40% to 50% of heart disease patients are individuals below the age of 40 years." While the doctor also believes that genes play a big role, she strongly advocates modifications in lifestyle, laying down these four areas, drawn from the principles of Ayurveda, where change needs to be instituted.
1) Ahar (Diet): Avoid junk food. It is okay to indulge once in a while, but don't lose sight of the fact that a high-calorie diet and excessive fat intake is a sure-fire recipe for heart ailments.
2) Vihar (Exercise): Weigh yourself regularly and make an effort to stay fit. Some form of physical exercise must be an essential part of your daily routine.
3) Achar (Conduct): Diabetes, hypertension and blood pressure are common problems faced by smokers, which contribute to heart disease. Passive smoking is equally injurious to health. If you simply can't give up the habit or reduce your alcohol intake, make sure you go for regular health check-ups, so health-problems are detected early on.
4) Vichar (Thought): Stress is no longer an ailment exclusive to the elderly. Youths, especially from
wealthier families, face tremendous peer pressure which can wreak havoc on one's health. It is essential, therefore, to take at least an hour off each day and indulge in something that helps you unwind, be it reading, swimming or just watching mindless television. Sufficient sleep is also crucial.
Psychiatrist, Dr Zirak Marker strongly cautions parents against being over-permissive. "School kids visit nightclubs today. And most of the times, parents don't even know what their children are up to." Educating the youth early on, is the key. "We need to change our lives -- in terms of recreation, for instance, what are our options? After college or after a day's work, what does one do? The city is brimming with bars and pubs, and the small section of the population that goes to members-only clubs may participate in sports but what do they do after that? Eat heavy food and drink alcohol. It's not a healthy lifestyle."
Ailment of the rich and the famous
Counsellor, Heart To Heart Counselling Centre, Dr Rajan Bhonsle, is not surprised by the increase in cardiac diseases among wealthy youth. There is comfort at every step; a chauffeur to drive you around and servants cleaning the mess at home, all leading to a sedentary lifestyle.
Taking a practical approach to the situation, Dr Bhonsle says, "If you ask someone to stop smoking, drinking or partying, it's unlikely that he or she will actually listen. A complete overhaul of one's lifestyle is impossible, but perhaps one could make a few changes."
The doctor recommends:u00a0 Stop binge-drinking, but if you feel compelled to have a drink when your friends are around, limit yourself to a glass or two of red wine. Similarly, if you love eating out or enjoy junk food, make an effort to get sufficient exercise on a daily basis. Stress is another monster. "It's not just pressure at work, there's also the pressure to keep up with the Jonesesu00e2u0080u00a6 to sport current fashionable brands, be seen at hip restaurants, and to own the latest gadgets. Managing stress is a huge task and one that's hard to tackle at once." The doctor recommends yoga and meditation for some, while structured workshops could be effective tools for others.
Watch what you put in your mouth
Nutritionist, Nysha Bijlani, proprietor of Mint Motivational Centre, points out that there's a reason why diabetes, high-blood pressure and heart diseases are termed lifestyle diseases. Often caused by erratic eating habits, alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity. Bijlani feels, "Obesity is commonly, and at times wrongly, associated with heart diseases and health problems. One can look perfectly healthy from the outside, but the internal composition could be erratic and could lead to heart ailments. Some individuals tend to stay slim without following a diet or exercise routine, and while it may not show on their figure, what they eat could still adversely affect their heart."
Men who are heavy drinkers and lead sedentary lives tend to accumulate fat around the abdomen, a problem recognised as apple-shaped obesity. This group is believed to be at higher risk of heart diseases. "I would advise everyone to check their body-fat percentage regularly. Simply getting on the weighing scale won't help, you have to measure body fat too." Over-eating at parties is the biggest beast. Bijlani suggests: Always eat a snack before you leave home. That way you are not ravenous by the time the food is served and you can eat judiciously. Opt for grilled food items rather than fried stuff. And if you tend to party frequently, Bijlani recommends a detox. "After every week of partying, follow a detox. Stay off booze and oily food. Load up on raw vegetables and drink plenty of water, fresh fruit and vegetable juices."
Substance abuse hurts the heart
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a US authority, "More than a quarter of a million Americans who had a substance abuse disorder experienced heart disease." While alcohol drinking can lead to anxiety and thereby to heart ailments, even treatment of alcohol dependence could cause anxiety, irregular heartbeats, tremor, seizures, and hallucinations. Methamphetamines and cocaine can have a variety of lethal effects -- using these may cause heart attacks, lead to high-blood pressure, and even stroke.
Gone, in a heart-beat
February 2010 Actor Nirmal Pandey, best known for his role in Bandit Queen, was 48 when he succumbed to cardiac arrest. Pandey was rumoured to be rather fond of drink, and there are indications that it was this issue that resulted in the end of his first marriage to lyricist Kausar Munir.
December 2009 Hollywood actor Brittany Murphy, best known for her roles in movies Clueless and 8 Mile, went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived. She was only 32. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office announced that the actor was weakened by pneumonia, exacerbated by multiple drug intoxication.
June 2009 King of Pop Michael Jackson suffered a fatal heart-attack at age 50. Brian Oxman, Jackson's spokesperson, hinted that the singer may have had trouble with prescription drugs.
March 2002 Actor / musician Dudley Moore was forced to cancel a performance in 1997 as he suffered a series of minor heart attacks. In September 1997, Moore underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in London, after which he suffered four minor strokes. His health deteriorated from that point on until pneumonia claimed him in 2002.
Learn from the mistakes of the rich and famous
>>According to UNI, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy successfully underwent open-heart surgery that lasted for four-and-a-half hours in December 2009. 49-year-old Kumaraswamy, the youngest son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, had been diagnosed with valvular heart disease, which usually occurs in the elderly.
>>Kelsey Grammer, best known from his long-running sitcom Frasier, suffered a heart attack in June 2008 during a weekend in Hawaii. Grammer had reportedly struggled with substance abuse problems for several years.
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