1) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HEART ATTACK AND A CARDIAC ARREST?
A heart attack also known as Myocardial Infarction occurs when one of the blood vessels (called coronary artery in medical terms) carrying blood to the heart muscle gets suddenly blocked completely. Cardiac arrest on the other hand occurs suddenly and often without any warning. It usually follows an electric malfunction in the heart causing a sudden cessation of electrical activity or irregular heartbeat (referred to as arrhythmia).

2) WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON REASON WHY YOUNG INDIANS ARE FALLING PREY TO HEART ATTACKS ?
India has emerged as the diabetes capital of the world and this is a major risk factor for premature cardiac disease. Unhealthy eating habits coupled with lack of exercise have been contributing to it too. Furthermore, uncontrolled hypertension, reliance on alternative schools of medicine, stress, obesity and air pollution also play a role in the occurrence of heart attacks.

3) WHY ARE “SEEMINGLY FIT” PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HEART ATTACKS MORE FREQUENTLY NOW?
Research has found evidence that sudden and high-intensity exercises (especially in people who exercise infrequently) can acutely increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in individuals with underlying cardiac disease like coronary artery disease (recognised or unrecognised) or cardiac muscle disorders like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

4) CAN HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS LEAD TO UNUSUAL CARDIAC ACTIVITY?
Many protein powders labelled herbal, ayurvedic and safe may in fact contain heavy metals like cadmium, lead, arsenic or mercury) leading to toxic effects. Fat-burning supplements are popular as they help you lose weight in a short span of time. However, they can also occasionally have damaging side effects on our bodies.

_”The most common cause of mortality in India is now cardiovascular disease (CVD), surpassing cancer, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). Despite the considerably varying frequency of risk factors across regions, CVD is the main cause of death in all of India.”_

*COVID-19 and heart attacks: Is there a correlation?*

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, heart attacks were the leading cause of death worldwide but were steadily on the decline. However, the new study—recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Virology—shows that heart attack death rates took a sharp turn and increased for all age groups during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 virus may accelerate pre-existing coronary artery disease even in young adults, it may lead to inflammation which may trigger the rupture of vulnerable plaques, mental stress like job loss fears, staying indoors with resultant lack of exercise and delay in seeking medical attention (for fear of exposure) may all play a role in triggering acute events.