Actor Rituraj Singh, who last appeared in the television serial Anupamaa, passed away on Monday night at the age of 59 of heart attack. His close friend Amit Behl confirmed the news. As per reports, he was recently hospitalised for pancreatic disease and after he was back home, he suffered cardiac complications.
Cardiac arrests are becoming more common in India and making it the cause of majority deaths occurring in India and their prevention is the need of the hour. Various factors like underlying conditions, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, improper food habits and insufficient sleep contribute to the chronic heart problem which can lead to sudden cardiac arrests. Excessive stress and work life balance adds up to it.
Here are some preventive measures for cardiac arrest listed by Doctors
To avoid such incidents OnlyMyHealth interacted with doctors to know the preventive measures for cardiac arrest. Let’s understand what doctors have to say on it.
Talking about the cons of urban lifestyle, Dr. Kunal Sarkar, Senior Vice Chairman & Chief Cardiac Surgeon, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata, said, “Exceptional as it is, in this day and age, heart attacks in very young and apparently ‘fit ones’ are being reported with an increasing frequency. Diet involving excess of fried and fatty food, obesity, undetected diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking along with unavoidable stress of a demanding urban lifestyle - all contribute to this problem.”
Also read: Health Ministry to Launch Nationwide CPR Training Program Amidst Surge in Cardiac Arrests
Regular Checkups
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Not taking a health checkup regularly is not very cool. Especially, when we are living in the times where diseases are on a hunt for us and being fortunate enough to be living in the era of high end technologies we have access to early detection of so many diseases including heart related issues. Dr Sarkar said, “We have a habit of not having a health checkup unless there are ominous signs and symptoms of trouble. With the incidence of coronary diseases affecting more than 15% of those less than 40 years of age, we do not have a choice other than to have regular checkups. This should include blood tests, ECG, ECHO and a treadmill test along with CT Coronary Angiogram, if the doctor advises.”
Adapting Healthy Lifestyle
According to Dr Sarkar, there are no specific symptoms or warning signals for cardiac arrest in younger generations. It hits us unannounced. Dr Sarkar emphasised on keeping a check on weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and saying no to smoking.
As an individual, it is important to keep the lifestyle in check and try and fix basic minor conditions like a mere acid reflux issue. The above mentioned measures were about self care but let’s also shed light on emergency methods of saving someone who is going through it.
Also read: 7 Warning Signs Of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
To understand this, OnlyMyHealth interacted with Dr. Vashisth Das, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Chinmaya Hrudayalaya, Bengaluru.
Dr Das said, “The key to saving lives is not just in knowing how to respond, but also in understanding the differences between these heart conditions. As a community, increasing awareness and education on recognising the signs of cardiac arrest, alongside training more people in CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) and the use of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators), are essential steps towards improving survival rates. Remember in a cardiac arrest, your quick and informed action could indeed save a life.”