The young and the feeble
Heart attacks among young people can be mostly attributed to diet, pressure from the society.
ISLAMABAD:
Mariam was a brilliant matric student who had never complained of so much as a headache.
One November morning last year, she had breakfast and went to her room to prepare for her exams. Suddenly, however, her chest began to ache and she started throwing up.
Her mother rushed her to the hospital, not expecting anything too severe. The shock of what happened later is something Mariam’s mother is still reeling from. Even before reaching the hospital, her daughter had died. Doctors later said the cause was a heart attack.
“I still find it difficult to believe,” said the mother, Nasreen Rizvi, a resident of Chakwal. “My daughter was medically fit. It all happened so fast.”
Naeem Shah, 20, was a stressed out young man. After his father passed away in a road accident, he quit his studies and took on the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner for his family.
He took up a job as a salesman in a store, but was unable to earn enough to make ends meet. This caused him sleepless nights, recalled Naeem’s uncle, Anwarul Haq.
One morning, Naeem did not wake up. He had passed away, for reasons unknown. Doctors believed it was a heart attack.
In the sweltering month of June last year, Naseem, 26, had served lunch to her three-year-old daughter and gone to fetch water from a nearby spring in Talhar, a village near Islamabad.
On her way back, she felt pain in her chest and started vomiting, said Roshan, Naseem’s mother-in-law. They quickly took her to a hospital, but she died on the way. Doctors blamed it on a heart attack.
“This was the first time anyone in our family died of a heart attack,” said Roshan.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Rabia Khan, a clinical psychologist who specialises in youth cases said besides genetic reasons, heart attacks among young people can be mostly attributed to diet, pressure from the society and lack of an adequate support system.
A balanced diet, recreational activities, and better economic and social conditions can help young people lead a healthier life, both physically and emotionally.
Doctors believe the level of stress in society had increased because of inflation, lack of economic opportunities, terrorism and social evils like forced marriages.
“Excessive smoking and malnutrition are other reasons behind heart attacks among young people,” said Dr Shakir Ali Rana, senior cardiologist at Polyclinic Hospital.
At present, there is not enough data on cases of heart diseases among youth in the country.
Dr Rana, however, claimed that there was a rising trend in the country and said he had treated heart disease patients as young as 11 years old.
Similarly, Dr Iqbal Saifullah, head of cardiology department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and a professor of Cardiology at the Quaid-e-Azam Postgraduate Medical College, said there was a time when heart attacks were associated with people in their 50s, but now the hospital receives patients in their 20s and 30s.
Doctors said there should be a health care programme in all middle schools under which students should be examined for heart conditions and given treatment well on time.
Lack of awareness on health and nutrition exacerbates the situation, doctors said, questioning the rationale of parents who let their children become addicted to fast food.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2011.
Mariam was a brilliant matric student who had never complained of so much as a headache.
One November morning last year, she had breakfast and went to her room to prepare for her exams. Suddenly, however, her chest began to ache and she started throwing up.
Her mother rushed her to the hospital, not expecting anything too severe. The shock of what happened later is something Mariam’s mother is still reeling from. Even before reaching the hospital, her daughter had died. Doctors later said the cause was a heart attack.
“I still find it difficult to believe,” said the mother, Nasreen Rizvi, a resident of Chakwal. “My daughter was medically fit. It all happened so fast.”
Naeem Shah, 20, was a stressed out young man. After his father passed away in a road accident, he quit his studies and took on the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner for his family.
He took up a job as a salesman in a store, but was unable to earn enough to make ends meet. This caused him sleepless nights, recalled Naeem’s uncle, Anwarul Haq.
One morning, Naeem did not wake up. He had passed away, for reasons unknown. Doctors believed it was a heart attack.
In the sweltering month of June last year, Naseem, 26, had served lunch to her three-year-old daughter and gone to fetch water from a nearby spring in Talhar, a village near Islamabad.
On her way back, she felt pain in her chest and started vomiting, said Roshan, Naseem’s mother-in-law. They quickly took her to a hospital, but she died on the way. Doctors blamed it on a heart attack.
“This was the first time anyone in our family died of a heart attack,” said Roshan.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Rabia Khan, a clinical psychologist who specialises in youth cases said besides genetic reasons, heart attacks among young people can be mostly attributed to diet, pressure from the society and lack of an adequate support system.
A balanced diet, recreational activities, and better economic and social conditions can help young people lead a healthier life, both physically and emotionally.
Doctors believe the level of stress in society had increased because of inflation, lack of economic opportunities, terrorism and social evils like forced marriages.
“Excessive smoking and malnutrition are other reasons behind heart attacks among young people,” said Dr Shakir Ali Rana, senior cardiologist at Polyclinic Hospital.
At present, there is not enough data on cases of heart diseases among youth in the country.
Dr Rana, however, claimed that there was a rising trend in the country and said he had treated heart disease patients as young as 11 years old.
Similarly, Dr Iqbal Saifullah, head of cardiology department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and a professor of Cardiology at the Quaid-e-Azam Postgraduate Medical College, said there was a time when heart attacks were associated with people in their 50s, but now the hospital receives patients in their 20s and 30s.
Doctors said there should be a health care programme in all middle schools under which students should be examined for heart conditions and given treatment well on time.
Lack of awareness on health and nutrition exacerbates the situation, doctors said, questioning the rationale of parents who let their children become addicted to fast food.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2011.