Mumbai: On Friday morning, 46-year-old TV actor Siddhaanth Vir Suryavanshi died while working out in a gym at Andheri in suburban Mumbai. The cause of his sudden death was said to be a heart attack.
According to cardiac and diabetes specialist Dr. Pranav Kabra of the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital at Malad in suburban Mumbai, sudden aggressive exercise can lead to a heart attack.
"The body needs to warm up." People simply go on the treadmill and start running, or they go to the gym equipment and start with dead weights. Such intense exercise can undoubtedly cause a heart attack, according to Dr. Kabra.
Clot formation and underlying cholesterol plaque are possible at an early age
Dr. Pranav Kabra explained that a blockage of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart due to acute and sudden clot formation and underlying cholesterol plaque is possible even at an early age. It is also possible that the cholesterol plaque does not necessarily narrow the artery severely, but only 20-30 or 40 percent.
But it can rupture due to extreme stress or unusual exercise without warming up, causing a buildup of high blood pressure. Thus, the sudden rupturing of the plaque will lead to clot formation in the blood vessels, leading to a heart attack, said Dr. Kabra, explaining how 40- to 50-year-olds are dying in gyms due to sudden aggressive exercise without warming up.
Before working out in a gym, one must do basic stretching and toning exercises, and only after about 20 minutes of warm-up must one run on the treadmill or lift weights.
Human body requires time to adjust to changes in heart rate and blood pressure
The human body needs to slowly adjust to increased heart rate and blood pressure. A sudden increase in blood pressure can cause the rupture of plaque, leading to clot formation in the blood vessels and causing a heart attack.
Increased homocysteine levels in the body are one of the major causes of heart attacks. 99 percent of people do all blood tests except those for homocysteine. Dr. Kabra says he has personally observed patients with high homocysteine levels leading to cardiac issues at a very young age.
High levels of homocysteine can damage the inside of your arteries
High levels of homocysteine can damage the inside of your arteries and increase your risk of forming blood clots. This may increase your chances of having a heart attack, having a stroke, or developing other heart diseases or blood vessel problems.
Homocysteine is an amino acid. Vitamins B12, B6, and folate break down homocysteine in the body to create other chemicals the body needs.
High homocysteine levels may mean you have a vitamin deficiency, which in bodybuilders is caused by a lack of proper nutrition. They only focus on proteins, ignoring the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients found in vegetables and fruits that the body requires, according to Dr. Kabra.
Smoking, lack of sleep, and excessive consumption of caffeine-based energy drinks, coupled with comorbidities like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, are sure-fire causes of a heart attack, even in the younger generation, says Dr. Kabra.
