‘Young Hearts Under Pressure: The Impact of Contemporary Living on Cardiovascular Health’

The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young adults has escalated significantly, marking a concerning shift in global health trends. This article explores the multifactorial causes behind this surge, focusing on how modern lifestyle factors—including sedentary behaviour, poor dietary habits, elevated stress, substance abuse, and inadequate sleep—contribute to early onset heart conditions.
Technological advances and urban living, while offering convenience, have inadvertently reduced physical activity and increased exposure to fast food and processed meals. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this crisis by disrupting routines and deterring timely medical care. Evidence suggests a rise in postviral cardiac complications, particularly among previously healthy youth. Additionally, legal and ethical considerations related to cardiology, such as informed consent, medical negligence, and organ transplantation laws in India, are examined. The article advocates for proactive preventive strategies, including public health reforms, youth-centered screening programs, lifestyle modifications, and workplace wellness policies. By integrating medical insights with legal accountability and behavioral change, it is possible to mitigate the growing cardiovascular burden in India’s younger population.
This paper underscores the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration and policy advocacy to protect the heart health of future generations. It serves as a call to action for clinicians, educators, policymakers, and families to recognize the silent epidemic brewing in the hearts of the young.

Cardiovascular disease, Young adults

1. "Association between Psychological Stress and Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis" published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2017. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. "Dietary Patterns and Myocardial Infarction in Young Adults: Results from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study" published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. "Risk Factors for Myocardial Infarction in Young Adults" published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2018. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. "The Role of Physical Activity in the Prevention of Myocardial Infarction" published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine in 2018. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. "Trends in myocardial infarction incidence and mortality over 30 years in the United States: The ARIC Study" published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bhatt, A. S., Moscone, A., McElrath, E. E., Varshney, A. S., Claggett, B. L., Bhatt, D. L., & Solomon, S. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. D. (2020). Fewer hospitalizations for acute cardiovascular conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 76(3), 280–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.038 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Carfì, A., Bernabei, R., & Landi, F. (2020). Persistent symptoms in patients after acute COVID-19. JAMA, 324(6), 603–605. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.12603 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Dr. Laxman Balkrishna Joshi v. Dr. Trimbak Bapu Godbole, AIR 1969 SC 128 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Global Adult Tobacco Survey. (2017). India fact sheet. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. https://ntcp.nhp.gov.in [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Gupta, R., Misra, A., Vikram, N. K., Kondal, D., Gupta, S. S., & Agrawal, A. (2020). Younger age of onset of coronary artery disease in Indians: Role of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 68(1), 21–25. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). (2020). Annual health report on non-communicable diseases. https://www.icmr.gov.in [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Kumar, A., Sharma, M., & Sinha, S. (2020). Occupational stress and its correlation with cardiovascular risk factors among young adults. Indian Heart Journal, 72(5), 382–386. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Lindner, D., Fitzek, A., Bräuninger, H., Aleshcheva, G., Edler, C., Meissner, K., & Scherschel, K. (2020). Association of cardiac infection with SARS-CoV-2 in confirmed COVID-19 autopsy cases. JAMA Cardiology, 5(11), 1281–1285. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2020.3551 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Mehta, L. S., Beckie, T. M., DeVon, H. A., Grines, C. L., Krumholz, H. M., Johnson, M. N., & Wenger, [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. N. K. (2016). Acute myocardial infarction in women: A scientific statement. Circulation, 133(9), 916– 947. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000351 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Misra, A., & Shrivastava, U. (2013). Obesity and dyslipidemia in South Asians. Nutrients, 5(7), 2708– 2733. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5072708 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Mohan, V., Deepa, M., & Pradeepa, R. (2019). Urban youth and cardiovascular risk: A dietary assessment. Nutrition & Metabolism, 16(1), 56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Narain, J. P., & Garg, R. (2019). Non-communicable diseases in India: Challenges and way forward. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 44(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_5_19 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. National Health Portal of India. (2020). Lifestyle diseases. https://www.nhp.gov.in [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. National Institute of Nutrition. (2021). Dietary guidelines for Indians. Indian Council of Medical Research. https://www.nin.res.in [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Prabhakaran, D., Jeemon, P., & Roy, A. (2018). Cardiovascular diseases in India: Current epidemiology and future directions. Circulation, 133(16), 1605–1620. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.008729 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Samira Kohli v. Dr. Prabha Manchanda, (2008) 2 SCC 1. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Saxena, R., Gautam, V., & Shukla, A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle habits and health parameters in Indian youth. Indian Journal of Public Health, 65(1), 32–38. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Sharma, M., Narang, R., & Sethi, R. (2021). Substance use and cardiovascular risks among Indian adolescents. Journal of Substance Use, 26(3), 267–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2020.1830845 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Sharma, R., Bharti, A., & Singh, D. (2019). Sleep deprivation and its effect on heart rate variability in young adults. Sleep Medicine Research, 10(2), 84–89. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Singh, A. S., Mulder, C., Twisk, J. W., van Mechelen, W., & Chinapaw, M. J. (2008). Tracking of childhood overweight into adulthood: A systematic review of the literature. Obesity Reviews, 9(5), 474– 488. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00475.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Srivastava, A. K., & Saxena, P. (2022). Cardiovascular risk among Indian adolescents: An emerging concern. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 89(4), 289–295. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Wang, Q., Xi, B., Liu, M., Zhang, Y., & Fu, M. (2016). Short sleep duration is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. International Journal of Cardiology, 219, 231–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.06.061 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. World Health Organization. (2021). Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Yusuf, S., Rangarajan, S., Teo, K., Islam, S., Li, W., Liu, L., & Anand, S. S. (2014). Cardiovascular risk and events in 17 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(9), 818–827. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1311890 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Migrant Health in Morocco: Between Law and Reality
• CaknaMinda: An Educator-Centred Mobile App for Early Screening of Mental Health and Schizophrenia Risks
• Health System and Nursing Strategies for Enhancing Male Participation in Family Planning: Evidence from Tema General Hospital, Ghana.
• From Īśvara-Praṇidhāna to Parā-Bhakti: Convergent Paths of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and Bhakti Yoga
• Evidence-Based Psycho-Oncological Interventions: A Multimodal Approach to Supportive Care