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New Delhi: Abhishek
Shetty led the typical life of a young employee in an IT company.
A regular smoker, the 32-year-old had a hectic schedule, odd
sleeping hours and irregular meals - all of which caught up with
him, and he suffered a heart attack at what his doctor called a
"shockingly young age".
"Five years back such cases were unheard of. But increasingly, we
have young people coming to us with cardiac problems. It's a
serious problem and smoking is a major factor," Ravindra L.
Kulkarni, cardiologist and director of Just for Hearts, an
organisation for heart care, told IANS.
"Abhishek's is a case in point. A study of his case revealed that
he led a very stressful life, thanks to the nature of his work. To
add to that, he smoked regularly to relieve his stress. Ultimately
he had a cardiac arrest," Kulkarni added.
An angiography revealed a blockage in one of Shetty's main
arteries, for which an angioplasty had to be done. He has now
changed his lifestyle completely.
Cardiac ailments have become an increasingly common feature among
people as young as in their late 20s and early 30s, and smoking is
found to be one of the main contributing factors.
"Health problems that you would have normally seen in people in
their sixties - like those related to the heart or lungs - you see
them in young people in the age group of 30-35 these days. It's an
unhealthy trend, to say the least," said Suchetna Das, a
cardiologist.
According to Kulkarni, in the past few years there has been a
30-40 percent rise in cardiac related ailments amongst those below
the age of 40. Among his patients, 30-40 percent are heavy
smokers.
A number of young patients are those in high-stress and sedentary
lifestyle jobs, like in BPOs and the IT sector.
Studies reveal that peer pressure and curiosity are the two most
common reasons for a person to take up smoking. Most smokers also
claim their regular dose of puff is a stress relaxant.
"A number of young women also take up smoking to reduce weight.
The idea is that nicotine affects the appetite... you don't feel
hungry, eat less and thus lose weight. Not only is it an unhealthy
way to reduce weight, but also you hardly realise when the trick
becomes an addiction," Das said.
Doctors say that most ailments begin with high blood pressure
(BP).
There has been a 20-25 percent rise among youngsters complaining
of high blood pressure. So, if you are young and suddenly witness
high BP, it may be wise to see your doctor, said Kulkarni.
Some of the common health problems that young people are being
detected with are coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes and high
blood pressure.
Not just that. Oncologists reveal that there has been a rise in
cancer cases as well because of increased tobacco usage.
"Cancer, like throat cancer, among youngsters is on the rise. And
exposure to tobacco in various forms is the main culprit behind
this trend," Amol Akhade, consultant oncologist at International
Oncology Services, told IANS.
Sharing a smoke in hip hookah joints which are mushrooming in
cities like Delhi, is another popular lifestyle trend that is
simply adding to the problem, Akhade said.
"The trend of smoking hookah is adding to the risk (of cancer) and
both men and women are equally at risk," he added.
Besides strict implementation of the law that bans smoking in
public places, doctors also suggest initiation of Workplace Health
Promotion Programmes.
"Companies should take up the responsibility of making their
employees aware of a healthy lifestyle and about the ill effects
of smoking. Ultimately, a healthy, young workforce works for the
best for the company," Kulkarni said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco usage
kills at least five million people every year.
(Azera Parveen Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)
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