Rohan Mirchandani, The CEO of popular Greek yogurt brand Epigamia has died suddenly of a heart attack The 42-year-old was arrested on Saturday (December 21). His death has raised concerns about whether young Indians are at risk, given that Indians are genetically more likely to develop heart disease a decade earlier than other populations.
What is a sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest is described as a heart attack where the heart stops and loses all activity due to an irregular heart rhythm. You can tell that the heart’s electrical system is malfunctioning and shutting down. The heart beats too fast and its ventricles quiver, called ventricular fibrillation. The lower cells shrink very rapidly and in an uncoordinated manner.
As a result of these irregular electrical impulses, the heart cannot pump the oxygenated blood your body needs. During the first few minutes, blood flow to the brain is reduced, causing the patient to lose consciousness. And within eight minutes, all major organs shut down due to lack of blood flow.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be given to the person within the first two minutes to survive. If CPR is not administered, sudden cardiac arrest can be fatal within eight minutes. Brain damage can occur in just five minutes.
How is a sudden cardiac arrest different from a heart attack?
A sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. A heart attack is the result of plaque blockages and clots in the arteries that block blood flow to the heart, leading to scarring of the muscle. Sudden cardiac arrest is not caused by an obstruction. However, if a heart attack can alter the heart’s electrical impulses, it can be a trigger for sudden cardiac arrest.
Heart attacks can be quickly identified with ECG changes. Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t give you that time. A heart attack patient has a more than 90 percent chance of survival if admitted in time.
When does a heart attack lead to cardiac arrest?
Overall, about 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests in people over age 40 result from coronary artery disease. If you have less than 70 percent blockages/plaques, even if they don’t show up on conventional tests, you may be at risk.
During vigorous exercise, the plaque coating ruptures and disintegrates. Blood flowing over the ruptured plaque clot heals the gap, causing a large blockage in the artery that can lead to a heart attack. Now an untreated or unprepared heart, accustomed to less than 70 percent cardiac arrest, can experience wild changes in heart rate, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
What causes sudden cardiac arrest?
Usually, it is a known history of heart block, which can trigger severe arrhythmia. Sometimes it is caused by genetic conditions such as low pumping efficiency of the heart, or cardiomyopathy, which stiffens the heart muscles to such an extent that they are not able to pump blood to the rest of the human body. Sometimes, it can be triggered by changes in the structure of your heart due to excessive blood loss due to disease or infection or any other injury. But the concern is that it occurs in many asymptomatic individuals, making them a high-risk group.
What are the symptoms?
Do not ignore any pain in the jaw, neck or chest area, as the onset may send you into a sudden faint. Don’t wait and attribute it to gas or acidity. Constant discomfort should not be ignored. It can also be accompanied by shortness of breath, weakness, rapid heartbeat, palpitations or palpitations.
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