Amid growing reports of sudden cardiac deaths among young people, cardiologists have urged a shift towards prevention and early intervention through regular screening and lifestyle changes.
Speaking at a webinar organised by The Hindu on sudden cardiac deaths in young individuals, on Sunday, K. Kannan, Director of the Institute of Cardiology at Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were now the leading cause of death in India, accounting for nearly 28% of all deaths.
Dr. Kannan said hospital studies showed that up to 16% of those presenting with acute cardiac illness were younger than 40 years. Among the key causes, he cited sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, chronic stress, obesity, smoking, and diabetes.
“Most of these cases are preventable through early screening, healthy diet, and physical activity,” he said, adding that government programmes such as Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam had improved doorstep detection of hypertension and diabetes.
In response to a participant’s question about the most common medical causes behind sudden cardiac arrest, Dr. Kannan explained that postmortem studies have shown that around 80% of cases are linked to structural heart diseases, while approximately 20% are associated with arrhythmias. He also pointed out that genetic factors can play a role. However, in cases of sudden cardiac death, structural heart disease is usually the primary underlying cause, he said.
Priya Chockalingam, clinical director of the Cardiac Wellness Institute, stressed the importance of assessing one’s “heart age” rather than just chronological age. She outlined the need for regular physical activity — at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week — balanced diets with minimal processed food, and sufficient sleep.
Answering a participant’s question, Dr. Priya said that COVID-19 affects not only the lungs, but also the heart muscle and the blood vessels supplying the heart. She recommended that anyone who has had a past infection undergo an ECG to check their heart health — an aspect often overlooked by many physicians.
Addressing concerns about vaccine-related cardiac events, Dr. Priya stated that such risks are extremely rare and much lower than the risks posed by the virus itself.
Both panellists underscored that sudden cardiac deaths were largely preventable with lifestyle modification and routine monitoring.
The webinar was moderated by Geetha Srimathi, Senior Reporter, The Hindu.
The webinar can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/live/YKxPlYItmms?si=PKy9UPt6ERpYomDu
Published – October 06, 2025 04:28 am IST
