Experts sound alarm over heart attacks in the young

Mr Stano Kiragu, an IT expert in a private firm at Nakuru’s Industrial area joins the long queue of patients at a Karen Heart Hospital in Nakuru in Town.

In his 30s, the young man with an unlined face is the odd one out among the elderly patients most of whom walk with difficulty, their backs bent leaning on a helper or a walking stick for support. What they all have in common however, is that they are all victims of heart attacks.

Mr Kirago who spent most of his working day sitting at a desk in his office, says his heart attack began suddenly. “I developed chest discomfort and when I visited the clinic the doctor informed me that was one of the symptoms of a heart attack,” said Stano.

Heart attacks are usually associated with the elderly because their blood vessels continue to thin out with age becomes more of a likelihood as they enter their sunset years. The profile of Karen Hospital’s clinic shows most to be between 60 and 80 years.

For the young, sitting down for long hours is emerging as the lead cause of increased incidences of high blood pressure, diabetes and increases the risk of heart attack.

A leading cardiologist in the country Dr Dan Gikonyo says this a sedentary lifestyle has led to increased cases of heart attack amongst many young Kenyans.

Whereas heart diseases used to be prevalent in the elderly latest statistics shows that 60 per cent of the patients attending public and private hospitals are aged between 20- 40 years and are suffering from chest pains and mild chest pains that signify an early onset of heart disease.

WORRYING TREND

“This is a new disease phenomenon that is slowly becoming deadly by the day,” said Dr Gikonyo.

To address behavioural risk factors Dr Gikonyo advises people especially professionals who spend a great deal of their time sitting down to have a thorough exercise regime. “Physical inactivity increases the risk of heart attack and strokes,” says Dr Gikonyo.

The renowned cardiologist advices working class to engage in physical activity at least 30minutes every day of the week and this will help prevent heart attacks.

Stano says his day starts at 8am in the morning and calls it a day between 11pm and midnight and has foundit impossible to include exercise in his daily schedule.

Dr Gikonyo says that not all exercise needs to happen in the gym. “If you are working in a tall building it is advisable to use the stairs and if you make it a habit this is enough exercise to keep your heart healthy,” said Dr Gikonyo

He observed that the country has reached a level where cases of heart attack are now as common as any other disease.

Dr Duncan Kilingo, a cardiologist based at Advent Medical Centre at Polo Centre in Nakuru Town concurs. He told www.nation.co.ke  that the young population aged between 30 and 40 are now frequently suffering heart attacks and the number is rising by the day.

This trend is worrying the heart experts who are now sounding a warning bell over the frequency of heart attacks amongst young population which is slowly reaching the “epidemic levels”. They urge prevention over cure or management of the condition which they say comes at a steep price.

“We need as a country to take urgent measures because the management of heart attacks is expensive and government cannot be able to treat increasing number of patients that are seeking medical attention at the public hospitals countrywide,” said Dr Gikonyo.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) coronary heart diseases in Kenya had claimed 9,163 lives in a 2014 report. Kenya lacks accurate and updated statistics on the incidences of heart attack and it’s feared the number could now be higher.

He sounded a warning that the While “More coronary heart disease are now common and 55 per cent of Kenyans suffer heart attacks annually which is the lead cause of deaths in our public and private hospitals,” notes Dr Gikonyo.

GOOD FOOD

He attributed this to changing lifestyles.

“As a young medical student the Kenyatta National Hospital from 1970 – 1980, I only saw two cases of African patients suffering from heart attack,” said Dr Gikonyo.

Dr Gikonyo said Kenyans must be sensitized on the best way to avoid heart attacks.

“It must start from childhood by guiding children to avoid taking too much sugar, salt and avoid sitting down without exercising,” he added.

“Most people have adopted what they perceive to be trendy lifestyles and consider junk food to be cool but has more cholesterol, sodium and preservatives which leads to high blood pressure and increases chances of heart attack,” said Dr Kilingo.

Dr Kilingo who is also a lecturer at Egerton University’s Faculty of Health Science urges young people to avoid refined foods which have lots of calories and instead eat food of good nutritional value.

“Excess consumption of red meat should be avoided,” said Dr Kilingo.

Dr Gikonyo says eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and limiting salt intake to less than one teaspoon a day also prevents heart attack.

He advises the young people to eat white meat such as (kienyeji) free-range chicken, fish, vegetables and fruits.

Apart from these factors, he attributed the rise of heart attacks to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and eating food rich in animal fat.