These days, Nikhil Sharma is educating himself on the importance of practising good self-care. He finds that playing the guitar helps him relax and get his mind off of whatever is bothering him. He makes it a point to enjoy the outdoors every day and has only recently started to appreciate home-cooked meals. On the other hand, a little more than a month ago, this 21-year-old BBA student passed out after suffering a massive heart attack on the same day that he was making plans with his buddies for a get-together.
He was alert enough to realise that the stabbing pain in his back and the tension in his chest were not normal, and he made the decision to rush to the hospital. He had already undergone an angioplasty by the time his friends located him and were able to talk to him again. Despite this, he was not a smoker, did not drink, and did not come from a drinking or smoking background. “However, I had not yet dealt with the grief and emotional stress that followed the passing of my mother. And over time, keeping my feelings bottled up caused my heart to become congested.
He has an additional clot, but we anticipate that it will be eliminated by the medication very soon. After that, as part of a cardiac rehabilitation programme, he will gradually increase the amount of physical activity he is doing. He intends to start with yoga in order to build up his stamina before moving on to other activities that are better for the heart. And now he is getting back to work on his CAT (Common Admission Test) studies in order to enrol in an MBA programme. “Preventative steps should be taken by everyone, and everyone should be aware of what their BMI (body mass index), cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels signify for their heart health. And every one of these dangers is something you bring upon yourself if you do not take the necessary precautions in a timely manner, he argues.
Nikhil Sharma, a person who survived a heart attack The young man, who was 21 at the time, was the only child of his parents, and his father worked in a field that required frequent relocation
The role that the loss of my mother played in bringing on a stress-related heart attack
Studies have demonstrated that elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol can lead to an increase in blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides, all of which are common risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, stress can alter the structure of the blood vessels in the coronary artery, which can lead to the accumulation of plaque deposits. According to Dr. Rajiv Shukla, Director and Head of the Department of Cardiology at Fortis Hospital in Noida, Nikhil was unaware that the stress he was under was contributing to the development of heart disease risk factors. “He was a donor for his mother when she passed away during a liver transplant treatment. He was so overcome with regret over the fact that he could not save her that he decided to end his life. Because of his unpredictable eating habits, his tendency to binge eat, his sleepless evenings, and the fact that he rarely felt the want to leave his house, he gained enough weight to be considered obese. “He never got tested for cholesterol because he was so young, but the damage was already done,” he adds.
Dr. Sharma was not in the least bit taken aback by the fact that Nikhil had abnormal cholesterol levels at such a tender age. During the past half year, he has provided treatment for heart illness to over a hundred patients, of which fifty percent are younger than fifty years old. Now, patients younger than 35 years old make up half of this category’s total patient population. “I have treated almost 30 patients in the 25-30 age group,” he says. “I have a lot of experience in this age range.”
Dr. Sharma is of the opinion that Indians, who are genetically more likely to develop symptoms of heart disease at least ten years earlier than people in other populations, ought to monitor their exposure to risk factors. “If you have even a few of the markers, such as a family history of disease, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, BP, and prediabetes, they can cause heart disease at any age,” he says. “These markers include things like family history of disease, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, BP, and prediabetes.” According to him, this is one of the primary reasons why a screening for heart disease should begin in one’s 20s. Especially so if you are a smoker or if you are someone who often consumes alcohol. The majority of Dr. Sharma’s patients are people working in the information technology industry who are always under pressure, don’t keep regular sleeping or eating schedules, frequently dine out, and spend most of their time sitting on a couch or chair.
What are some of the early warning signs?
They are also likely to disregard warning signs in the lead up to a heart attack. “Sometimes you can have intense gas bouts a week before, though people tend to ignore them,” adds Dr Sharma. “But it’s important to pay attention to your body.” Prior to September 4, the day of Nikhil’s birthday, he had been experiencing similar concerns as well as some pain in his chest. After the discomfort did not abate, he went to the doctor at Fortis Hospital, who advised him to take some antacids and schedule an electrocardiogram for the next day. On September 5, the level of discomfort was so severe that it forced him to drive himself to the hospital, where he eventually passed out. The electrocardiogram revealed that he had two clots in his heart, one in each of the ventricles on the left and right sides. Because his arteries were only partially blocked, he did not require a stent but rather merely a balloon to open them up.
So what caused Nikhil to go into such a deep depression?
After the passing of his mother in April of last year, he had been living by himself for more than a year. The young man, who was 21 at the time, was the only child of his parents, and his father worked in a field that required frequent relocation. After his mother passed away, he stopped caring about his body and regained the weight he had lost in order to be a suitable donor for his mother prior to her liver transplant procedure. The fact that he signed up for a work-from-home internship with a company based in Noida made everything much more complicated. Due to the lack of social connection in his life, he fell into a deeper despair, started ordering his meals from restaurants, became confined to his work station and bed, and gained weight out of his control.
The most important lesson that Nikhil has learned is to take care of his mental health. In order to be with him, his father has also applied for a transfer. “Without a fit body and mind, anybody can drift,” he adds, as he has learned his life lesson early on and is committed to live a life that is both fit and happy.
