Study sheds light on risk of heart disease among youngsters

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Smoking, high cholesterol, hypertension, consumption of alcohol, obesity and diabetes are the main trigger for symptomatic coronary artery disease in 95 per cent of cases affecting people below the age of 30, according to a study conducted by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST).

Data collated over a 39-year period -- from 1978 to 2017 -- has formed the basis for the study by the cardiology department at SCTIMST and the findings have been published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR).

“ A total of 159 patients, 92% of which were males, featured in the study. The most disturbing aspect which emerged was that risk factor control and lack of proper medication were inadequate in a substantial proportion of these patients even after major coronary events,” said Harikrishnan S, one of the coauthors of the study.  

The study also found that 41 per cent of patients were non-compliant to medications.Absence of symptoms was the most commonly cited reason for discontinuation of medicines. Also, nearly half of the medically managed patients had discontinued medicines. 

“We identified significant delay in patients seeking hospital attention. By missing the ‘golden hour’, a significant proportion of patients had suffered a heart attack. The rate of primary angioplasty was low in this group because of delayed treatment. The poor awareness of the long-term implications of developing coronary artery disease at a young age is also there,” added Harikrishnan. 

According to the findings,  smokers made up 64 per cent of patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease and 88 percent suffered from high blood cholesterol, while 21 per cent were habituated to alcohol. 
Also, all of them were men.One of the limitations of the study was that it was single centre-based -- conducted at a tertiary care hospital, the report pointed out.