The recent tragic incidences of heart attacks in celebrities have people concerned. This is in addition to the already rising rates of heart disease in our country. What is more disturbing is that some of these celebrities were (are) under the age of 50 and some were (are) fitness enthusiasts who spent hours at the gym. This questions the common belief that heart diseases occur after middle age and in unfit, sedentary people. Hence the confusion and panic as celebrities are thought of as being fit, active and often portrayed as having perfect lives.

‘Heart-attack’, medically termed as ‘myocardial infarction’ happens when the heart does not get enough oxygen. One of the common causes is the blockage of vessels that get oxygenated blood to the heart’s own tissue. There are many causes of this phenomenon and the modifiable (ones that can be changed) are generally linked to poor lifestyle habits.

But the question that has people confused is why are young fitness-enthusiasts who seem to be in excellent shape getting such conditions. In this article, we will try to explore this occurrence.

Stress & Sleep
Often overlooked, stress management and good sleep are essential for heart health. Stress causes the secretion of certain chemicals in the body that produce an inflammation-like state that damages blood vessels in the heart making them prone to getting blocked. Sleep is essential in the management of stress and the recovery of all tissues in the body. Faulty sleep habits are prevalent in the competitive atmosphere such as show business. Over many years both these aspects combine and have a great impact on heart health.

Alcohol, Smoking & other addictions
Frequent parties and heavy consumption of substances such as alcohol and smoking impact heart health in many ways. Even if the individual looks fit and maintains their weight, these substances when taken regularly affect many systems in the body leading to poor health outcomes. For example small blood vessels and nerves are continuously damaged by smoking that can lay the grounds for a heart-attack. Recreational and stimulant drugs along with other illicit substances have greater repercussions. The use of such substances is well known in celebrity lifestyles.

Underlying and undiagnosed conditions
Hypertension and diabetes go undiagnosed for years before they are acted upon. But the damage from them starts long back. Blood pressure fluctuations are a common cause of blood vessel damage. Even in the prediabetic state the damage to blood vessels has been shown.
Hectic lifestyles may not leave time for regular health checkups and warning signs may be missed or mislabelled. Gastric symptoms are frequently associated with cardiac conditions and ignored as ‘heartburn’ or ‘gas’.

Fitness & Gym
Statistically, and even supported in follow-up studies, a person who is fit is less likely to develop a heart disease. But caution and moderation needs to be kept in mind. Strenuous gym habits may also need to be revisited. Overexertion even at the gym leads to stress in the body.
Workouts should be planned carefully and increments be taken gradually over weeks or months. Breaks may also be taken in between. If there are warning signs like breathlessness on little strain, chest pains, abnormal heartbeat and palpitations should be investigated at the earliest. A word of caution on gym diets and supplements is needed as their use is known to be increasing. Many supplements have undesirable effects on the body such as increasing insulin, straining the kidneys, causing inflammation, flatulence etc. There also have been reports of increasing use of anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing substances. The long term safety of most of these compounds has not been established and some are being used despite known hazards including cardiac side effects.

Caution and advice
The recent cases have sparked worry and confusion. It may be advised not to try and emulate a lifestyle that cannot be sustained. Instead it may be more worthwhile to develop good health and diet habits.

It is advisable to get regular health checkups after the age of 40 or immediately if any warning signs are noticed. Regular BP checks, diabetes screening, general blood tests, ECG may be sought by your doctor if any risk factors are present. Stress management, quality sleep, avoiding overexertion and maintaining good social relations are part of effective management.

Do not hesitate to speak to your doctor if a personalised evaluation is needed.

Note – Our information on such unfortunate events is based on news reports which can never be considered as holistic information for medical causes. Rarely, genetic conditions such as disorders of metabolism, disorders of cardiac rhythms or HOCM that may need evaluation may also cause heart attacks.