Increased consumption of junk food and less physical activity are the main reasons behind the rise in heart attacks among school children, doctors said here on Monday. Several recent media reports have shown that children as young as 10 are dying of heart attacks. Dr Neeraj Aggarwal, pediatric cardiologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS, “Overall there is a growing fast food culture in our country, which I believe is the root cause of such conditions.”
“The number of heart attacks in children is not high. However, due to obesity and sedentary lifestyle, the risk of heart attack has increased,” added Dr Amit Misri, Associate Director, Pediatrics Cardiology, Paediatrics, Medant, Gurugram. Doctors have lamented the drastic change in children’s lifestyle — children prefer playing online games instead of engaging in physical activity. They tend to take the elevator instead of the stairs.
They take outside food instead of home food which is balanced. Their food choices lean towards carbohydrates and fatty foods – which provide the baby with energy that he/she is not expending physically. So, all these lead to obesity which increases the risk and possible incidence of heart attack, Dr. Misri said.
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A poor lifestyle is causing fatigue, high blood pressure and diabetes in children, all of which are risk factors for heart attacks, Dr Aggarwal said. Many studies have documented the harmful effects of consuming highly processed foods that are high in sugar-salt.
In addition, health experts have also mentioned congenital problems in some children, which can lead to sudden cardiac death in patients. “These patients are prone to arrhythmias which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Of late we have seen that children diagnosed with Covid may also have a small risk of blocked coronary arteries which can lead to cardiac death over time,” Dr Misri told IANS.
Secondary infections like Covid, dengue and malaria can increase the risk of heart failure in children because they damage the heart muscle, says Dr Aggarwal. Apart from that there are some genetic or syndrome disorders. Similar to Marfan syndrome which causes the arteries in the body to dilate and have a tendency to burst which can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Substance abuse by teenagers, use of supplements while using the gym, dieting and extreme exercise – can also cause heart attacks.
How can we prevent it?
Health experts point out that lifestyle changes with proper exercise, a balanced diet low in carbohydrates, sugars and fats and eating more fresh fruit or home-cooked protein are crucial. Children should be encouraged to engage in 30 minutes to an hour of physical activity each day. This includes sports like swimming, cycling, and any type of activity that increases output or expends more energy first.
Dr. Aggarwal said that parents as well as schools and teachers can play an important role in helping children reduce sedentary lifestyle and develop healthy habits “Schools play a major role, it can limit junk food in its canteen. Avoid junk food. Even a healthy “You see, juices contain sugar. Foods high in sugar; Maggi, cold drinks, should not be allowed in school canteens,” he said.
Teachers should also be educated and made aware of the dangers of eating unhealthy food, who can then educate children, the doctor said.
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