IMA analyses reasons for rising cardiac arrests

Hyderabad: Hospitalisation during Covid, excess consumption of alcohol and excess exercise before 48 hours (of death) and changed food habits are some of the reasons for many cardiac arrest cases in the age group of 18 to 45 getting reported recently.

The IMA Telangana has analysed the cases from across different States and found reasons for increased number of cardiac arrest cases among persons in the age group. According to officials, the ICMR had taken up a study on sudden cardiac arrests among young people during Covid-19 and found out several risk factors.

The analysis by IMA Telangana showed that past Covid hospitalisation, family history of sudden deaths, binge drinking 48 hours before death, use of recreational drug/substance, performing vigorous intensity physical activity 48 hours before death were the factors positively associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years. Experts said exertion during physical exercise was known to increase chances of acute plaque rupture making partial or complete blockage of coronary arteries, thus leading to sudden death.

The IMA Telangana scientific committee convener Dr Kiran Madhala said stress was the biggest contributing factor; there was a need to address this.

Senior doctor in BIMS, Belgavi, Amarappa S Nagalikar said food habits had changed drastically. Change in timing of food intake, increase use of refined/ ready-to-eat food items, decreased physical activities, increased use of sugar, maida, salt and baked foods. All these would contribute to sudden cardiovascular death among adults.

Another senior doctor Mahananda Chaudhry said regular exercises in moderation were mandatory for a healthy mind, body and soul. “Everyone need to spend at least one-two hours ‘ME TIME’ every day. That hour is only about you, your fitness, inner peace, introspection; they should detach from material things as much as possible,” he said.

Experts, however, said there were some limitations in the study. First, there is a potential for misclassification of cases or controls. “We might not have been able to fully satisfy the inclusion criteria in terms of ‘explainability’ of cause of death, possibly due to inability of health facility to ascertain any undiagnosed/unreported conditions or lack of documentation in records on self-reported medications,” the report said.

However, the report also said that three-fourth of cases in their study belonged to witnessed death category, and hence, likely to have had better documentation of diagnosis or medical history and thereby allowing subsequent review by study site clinicians.