Why Are Young, Fit People Dying Of Heart Attacks? And What Can You Do To Prevent This For Yourself?

KK (Bollywood singer, age 53), Puneeth Rajkumar (Kannada Superstar, age 46), and Siddharth Shukla (Bollywood actor, age 40), all 3 succumbed to heart attacks in the recent past. All the 3 were super fit and probably fitness role models for many. All 3 of them had perfect weight, exercised regularly and were full of energy. If they could die of heart attacks, then what about us? Can we do something to prevent heart attacks or is it something which is part of our destiny?

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

First and the most important lesson that I want to share today with you is that “Fitness (at least the way a common man understands it) and health are two different things.” We estimate somebody’s fitness by looking at his or her physique. If he looks normal weight, is energetic and does not suffer from any pain or visible disability, we consider him fit. If he has six packs, then we consider him to be the epitome of fitness. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Looking fit is not the same as being healthy. Being healthy means that your body system is working in the optimal manner i.e. you have the right amount of all minerals, vitamins, hormones, bacteria, etc. in your body.

A person can look very very fit but may be totally unhealthy from the inside. And fitness is no indicator of your heart condition, but your health condition is.

How Do We Know Our Risk Profile For Heart Disease?

The answer is very simple. And not expensive either, Rs 2000 for a simple blood test, you can figure out how healthy your heart is (not just your heart, but your kidney, lungs, liver, gut, pancreas, thyroid gland, etc). It’s the best return on any investment you will ever make. Anybody over the age of 30 should always get an annual body checkup.

Which lab parameters indicate your heart condition? Cholesterol? Right? 

WRONG!!

For a detailed analysis of this, read my other article on “5 lab parameters, which are better than cholesterol in predicting heart disease”.

Though it’s widely believed by everyone that cholesterol is the most important indicator of heart disease, research after research has shown very little correlation between total cholesterol and overall mortality.

The 5 indicators which you need to know about your heart conditions are HOMA-IR, Homocysteine, HS-CRP, LP (A) and Triglyceride/HDL ratio. You can check for a lab report which covers the following and you should get yourself tested. And not just you, but the entire family. Don’t wait for a heart attack to take action. Life may not give a second chance. Remember, prevention is better than cure. 

The good news is that even if your parameters are not in range, these can be improved with lifestyle modifications and supplements. So, there is nothing to worry about. But you cannot take action unless you know the problem. So, get yourself and your family tested today. Stay fit and healthy!

References:

Bowden, Jonny, and Sinatra. “The Great Cholesterol Myth.” Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease–And the Statin-Free Plan That Will, 2020.