In the past three months, Nair hospital has done angioplasty on many people as young as 25, most with a Covid-related history
Zarnian with Dr Chaurasia at Nair hospital
Zarnian Shaikh was in total denial when doctors at BYL Nair Hospital’s casualty department informed her that she had suffered a heart attack and needed immediate medical intervention. The 25-year-old school teacher, who lives in Grant Road, had a few episodes of chest pain. She was initially treated for gastric issues but was brought to Nair hospital last week after she started sweating, had unbearable chest pain and struggled to walk. Shaikh’s angiography revealed two blockages which were fixed via angioplasty and she was discharged on Tuesday. Doctors said Shaikh tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies. She neither had Covid-19 symptoms nor had taken the vaccine.
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Dr Ajay Chaurasia, head of the cardiology department at Nair, said Shaikh is not a one-off case of young people, including women, having cardiac problems. They have done two dozen angioplasty procedures in the last three months. “Of the 24 angioplasty we did, 16 had Covid-19 history and underwent treatment in the second wave. Six had high antibodies of which two were vaccinated,” he said. The department is now analysing the data to understand the connection between Covid-19 and heart ailment.
Zomato delivery boy Atif Memon, 25, had a similar experience. Nair doctors said Memon, who weighs 128kg, didn't have a history of Covid but had taken both the shots and had high antibody titres. “Chest pain complaints, fluctuating blood pressure post-Covid recovery have been widely observed. It may be anxiety-driven or it can be that the patients with a family history of blood pressure or ischemic heart disease got unearthed or precipitated. We are definitely seeing a cardiovascular pandemic and we need to spread awareness among people on the same,” said Dr Chaurasia. Doctors say that Covid-19 is known to cause inflammation in the body and the virus itself can induce a lot of vascular damage and viral toxicity.
Doctors say genetically Indians are more susceptible to cardiac troubles
“There is a high tendency of blood clotting seen because of Covid-19. We need periodic follow-ups for an undefined period of interval till the time the ongoing research gives us a clear picture of the duration of closed supervised follow up,” said Dr Chaurasia. Dr Ameya Udyavar, a consultant cardiologist at P D Hinduja Hospital, pointed to more cases of heartbeat problems after the viral infection.
“These days, we see more patients suffering from blood clotting in the veins. Blood clots in arteries caused due to Covid are causing heart attacks in a few rare incidences,” he said. Dr Udyavar said as South Asians, Indians have an increased tendency to develop heart diseases at least ten years earlier than people in the West. “The primary cause of this is obesity due to genetic susceptibility and faulty food habits [increased carbohydrates intake], leading to metabolic syndrome and increased lipid levels. India is also known as the diabetic capital of the world and one of the major contributors to coronary heart disease.”
He said there has been a 15-20 per cent rise in heart attacks in young patients. “Of late, this is due to prior Covid illness and mental stress like loss of job, a family member suffering due to Covid, etc.,” he said. Dr Upendra Bhalerao, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital, said about 10 per cent of heart patients they have seen had Covid-19 history.
“I have seen at least 100-150 cases of people in the age group of 30-40 years requiring cardiac procedures in the last 1 year which highlights that there is a significant increase in such cases. Timely medical attention remains key to manage heart problems,” he said. Doctors advise against strenuous exercises immediately after recovering from Covid. “It should be gradual and in a staggered manner. Your endurability is already compromised. We have seen many fitness enthusiasts resume a strenuous fitness regime post Covid recovery that has landed them in the hospital,” said Dr Chaurasia.
‘A healthy heart not a priority for many’
A survey by a city hospital has shown that people may be aware of the need to care for their heart but fail to give it a priority. It found that 85% understood the modalities of seeking medical aid, while the remaining lacked complete understanding. Of the 7,864 respondents, over 60% were aware that sitting for long hours caused health ailments, but nearly 40% said they had no time to exercise.
Dr S Narayani, zonal director, Fortis Hospitals, who led the survey, said, “It is evident from the survey that the pandemic has impacted all aspects of our life. It is imperative to understand that remaining cognizant of one’s health parameters and reporting symptoms is crucial. Don’t let the changes in working patterns, changed social engagement patterns and fear of hospitals steer you away from living a healthy life.” Dr Atul Limaye, senior interventional cardiologist, called the findings an “eye-opener”. The incidence of heart disease is steadily rising along with diabetes and obesity. There is an urgent need to sensitise people that the lifestyle they adopted during the pandemic is detrimental.” Dr Brajesh Kunwar, head, interventional cardiology, said people in the “high-risk category” must opt for regular check-ups and seek emergency aid if presented with unusual symptoms, irrespective of age.