Cardiac arrest is no longer something to worry about only if you are elderly or have established heart disease. Today, it has turned into one of the most popular as well as shocking health dangers, which does not discriminate based on age, influence young adults, and even athletes. Cardiac arrest itself is very dangerous because it comes on so suddenly, and a victim’s chance of survival drops every moment in which they go without treatment. But why this recent proliferation in the last couple of years? While there are many medical reasons behind this we will briefly elucidate why the cases are increasing and what measures we can take to prevent ourselves.
Understanding Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops beating as a result of an electrical malfunction, causing a sudden loss of blood flow to important organs. Where a heart attack is the blockage of coronary arteries, cardiac arrest is primarily an electrical issue. The result? The person slumps in, becomes unresponsive, and can die within minutes without immediate treatment with CPR or defibrillation.
Cardiac Arrest Statistics
Developing countries face grave challenges of cardiac arrest. According to the CDC, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) played a role in approximately 436,852 deaths as of 2020 in the United States. Each year in the US, over 356,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA), and sadly almost 90% of these patients die. Even with emergency medical services (EMS) activation, only about 10 percent of patients survive to hospital discharge.
India too has an alarming situation. Studies estimate that 500,000 to 600,000 people die every year due to sudden cardiac deaths. Most of these deaths can be avoided if attention is paid in time, which underlines the necessity of public awareness about the same and the intervention of better emergency systems.
These numbers illustrate the value of CPR training and access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the general public. Better awareness of the disease and quicker medical intervention can save innumerable lives.
Why is Cardiac Arrest Becoming So Common?
1. Sedentary Lifestyles and Poor Diet Choices
Today, most of our activities involve sitting long hours and having little physical activity and heavy dependence on processed/fast foods. These bad habits lead to obesity, hypertension and diabetes — all of which cause major risk factors for cardiac arrest.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) stats, there are more than 1.9 billion adults who are overweight across the globe and the rates of obesity managed to reach alarming levels in recent years. This not only impacts cardiovascular health but also drives metabolic disorders that also raise the risk for heart problems.
2. Increased Stress and Mental Health Issues
The fast pace of life today has resulted in the widespread prevalence of chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Stress induces the secretion of cortisol and adrenaline, which can lead to dangerous heart rhythm disturbances and elevate the risk of suddenly falling to the ground with a heart attack.
A team of scientists from the American Heart Association discovered that people who had high levels of stress faced a higher risk for heart disease in a large study. And the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem with work pressure, unstable finances, and social isolation.
3. Rising Cases of Undiagnosed Heart Conditions
Many people suffer from undiagnosed heart ailments like arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or congenital heart defects. Because these conditions rarely are symptomatic until it is too late, they are responsible for sudden cardiac deaths, even among the young and seemingly healthy.
Routine examinations, electrocardiograms (EGDs), and echocardiograms can detect these silent killers before they have fatal results. However, due to unawareness and limited access to preventive health care this number represents only a fraction of the reality.
4. Excessive Use of Stimulants and Recreational Drugs
People who drink energy drinks, drink too much caffeine or take illegal drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, are putting themselves at risk for dangerous rhythm disturbances of the heart.
Many young adults turn to these stimulants in order to give themselves a lift they might not otherwise get. In most cases, this is something that takes place out of ignorance and the number of people it affects is correspondingly large.
According to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, just two or more energy drinks a day can lead to arrhythmias. There has also been a link between these sudden deaths and social drug taking by young people, particularly individuals of 24 years old and under.
5. Impact of Post-COVID Health Complications
According to recent studies, COVID-19 has caused long-term effects on cardiovascular health. Even after recovery from the virus, a great many people still experience heart inflammation (myocarditis), irregular heart beats and other complications (which bring increased risk of TE).
Cardiologists have reported a quadruple increase in people with cardiovascular complications after COVID-19, and younger adults are also no longer excluded from this. There are growing concerns over potential lasting harm to the heart of people who, while having mild coronavirus symptoms, suffer one or two strokes or other serious attacks.
How to Reduce the Risk of Cardiac Arrest
Let’s explore some ways to reduce your chance of a cardiac arrest.
1. Prioritize Regular Health Check-ups
Annual heart screenings, ECG tests, and cholesterol checks can help detect underlying heart conditions before they become life-threatening.
2. Adopt a Heart-Healthy Diet
Consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can significantly improve heart health. Reducing sodium, sugar, and trans fats is equally crucial.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that individuals who followed a Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed a standard Western diet.
3. Stay Physically Active
Engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week strengthens the heart and improves circulation, reducing the risk of cardiac arrest. Jogging is a very easy and wise choice to kick start.
How to Lower the Risk of Cardiac Arrest
Let’s go through some ways you can reduce your risk of having a heart attack.
1. Prioritize Regular Health Check-ups
Make Sure You Go for Regular Health Check-ups With heart disease the number one killer in America, not going for a regular check-up can be fatal. Annual heart screenings, ECG tests, and cholesterol checks can also pick up silent coronary problems before they put you in a premature grave.
2. Adopt a Heart-Healthy Diet
Follow a Heart-Healthy Diet A diet that is balanced and includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and fiber can ever so much improve your chances of staying healthy in general. Just as important is cutting down altogether on sodium and sugars.
3. Stay Physically Active
Get Enough Exercise A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have 30% less risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who follow the standard Western diet.
4. Manage Stress and Mental Health
The heart does demonstrate exactly what is in the head. Walking barefoot in the sand, practicing mindfulness, meditation, yoga and other relaxing activities to properly control stress. If you are also a victim of psychological trauma, then why not turn to peace of mind and a relaxed lifestyle?
5. Learn CPR and Emergency Response Techniques
Learn CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), because the earlier you can intervene with these means–the better chance your friend has for surviving! The American Red Cross maintains that effective bystander CPR can double or even triple a victim’s chance to live.
Conclusion
The increasing incidence of cardiac collapse is an alarm to anyone. It doesn’t show respect to the fact how young or healthy you are, this malady can befall you. However modern-day stress, undetected diseases, etc. can be causes of sudden cardiac arrest. it is a silver lining in this terrible crisis that there is much we ourselves can do to self-help. By changing our manner of living, keeping an eye on heart health, you can always be in safe side. Learning CPR like life-saving techniques, this really can effect change in the state of people’s future lives. Today someone who builds up vitality will enjoy more days than he owes it before it exhausts!
