Gujarat cardiologist's death raises fresh questions on heart attacks among youngsters

Dr Gaurav Gandhi, a 41-year-old Gujarat-based cardiologist credited with thousands of heart surgeries, died of a heart attack on Wednesday sending shockwaves across the state. All through his professional life, Dr Gandhi had been an ardent advocate of caring for the matters of the heart. The man who would often run online modules explaining the early symptoms of heart attack and urging people maintain a healthy lifestyle fell victim to an ailment he understood well. The Gujarat cardiologist's death has once again spurred conversation on heart health and why so many young people were falling victim to cardiovascular diease. 

Once upon a time, cardiovascular diesease was regarded as an ailment of the elderly. But over time, the disease seems to have penetrated younger people everywhere. While Dr Gandhi's death did come as a surprise, the year began following news of a 16-year-old girl dying of a heart attack in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. So why is there such a spurt in heart disease and why are so many young people falling victim to it? 

What the numbers show

Countries across the world have seen a rise in heart attacks among the young. The United States, for example, has seen a major spurt in hear attacks among people below the age of 50. A 2019 study conducted by Ohio State University states that heart-attack among youngsters has become more common in the past decades. Part of the reason for such a rise is the fact that many youngsters are unaware that a heart attack might be right around the corner.

In a survey conducted by the University’s Wexner Medical Center, 47% of Americans aged 18 and older and under the age of 45 don’t think they are at risk for heart disease.  “It is alarming that younger people don’t feel that they’re at risk for heart disease but it’s not surprising. Most young people think heart disease only happens in old people but that’s not the case,” said Dr. Laxmi Mehta, director of Preventative Cardiology and Women’s Cardiovascular Health at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.  

Where India stands in heart health

In India, nearly 272 people out of a 100,000 population die of cardiovascular disease. The equivalent global average is 235. This is according to the Global Burden of Disease study. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that India accounts for one-fifth of cardiovascular disease-related deaths worldwide especially in younger populations. The country has witnessed a 59% rise in loss of lives from cardiovascular disease since the 1990s. 

According to the Indian Heart Association, 50% of all heart attacks among Indian men occur under 50 years of age while 25% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur under 40 years of age. Indian women also have a high mortality rate from cardiac diseases. The IHA report estimates that India accounts for nearly 60% of the world's heart disease burden.  

What are the major causes of cardiovascular disease?

According to New Jersey-based Cardio Metabolic Institute, the following are reasons for heart-attack among the young:

• Diabetes 

• Hypertension among youngsters 

• Obesity and overall unhealthy lifestyle

• Smoking

• Substance abuse

• Other genetic heart conditions

The Legacy of Dr Gandhi

Born in the year 1982, Dr Gandhi was a renowned heart surgeon known for performing hundreds of angiography procedures and surgeries. "He had performed a large number of heart surgeries," Dr HK Vasavada of the Guru Govindsinh government hospital, where he used to work, said. "It is a matter of great shock and grief to the medical fraternity of Jamnagar that such a bright and young doctor is no more with us. May his soul rest in peace," said Dr Vasavada.