Did you know that excessive phone use increases the chances of heart attacks in young people?

It was a rainy day. I was sipping a hot cup of coffee and checking the comments on our videos on my phone. Suddenly, I saw a message on Messenger that made my heart skip a beat.

It was an obituary. "A friend of ours who often commented on the doctor's posts has left us. He was 30 years old. He died of a heart attack."

While I was thinking about this, Tharindu, a 28-year-old young man, came to my clinic. He was very nervous and trembling. "Doctor, a friend of mine recently had a heart attack and passed away. I also feel like my chest is hurting. Will I have a heart attack too, Doctor?" he asked. I smiled and calmed him down by saying, "Don't worry Tharindu, you are still young. Let's check your heart first, there is no problem."

In fact, the trend of heart attacks among young people has increased a lot these days. So today, let's talk about why young people in their 20s and 30s are getting heart attacks so quickly and how our phones affect it.

What are these collateral arteries?

Normally, our heart is supplied with blood by major blood vessels called coronary arteries. When these blood vessels become blocked in older people, nature naturally creates a system of smaller blood vessels to protect the heart. These are called collateral arteries .

Think of it this way. When your main road is blocked, these are like little side roads that you can take. Even if a major artery is blocked, blood flows to the heart through these side roads, so death does not occur immediately.

But medically, the collaterals of today's younger generation haven't developed. Therefore, once a major artery in a young person is blocked, there are no collaterals, so the chances of death from the first heart attack are much higher.

How are accessory blood vessels formed?

Bypasses only form when the main artery becomes difficult to navigate. That is, when we exercise hard and the heart needs more blood. At that time, when the main arteries are short of blood, the heart opens up small bypasses (collaterals).

These collateral blood vessels develop well in someone who exercises for a long time. But if we don't exercise, these collateral blood vessels become covered with jungle-like growth.

How does the phone affect heart attacks?

The biggest problem facing today's youth is "physical inactivity" (Sedentary Lifestyle) . That is, a lazy lifestyle that does not move the body. The main reason for this is addiction to smartphones.

We use our phones for everything now:

• Instead of walking for a bit, they download an app on their phone, bring a tricycle, and get off right at the doorstep.
• I order food and drinks over the phone instead of going to the store.
• I just sit in the same place for hours, staring at my phone and scrolling through social media whenever I have time.

Our grandfathers and fathers' generations walked to the fields and to the bus stop. They worked hard. That's why their hearts were healthy. But today's young people spend all day sitting on a chair or in bed, looking at their phones, so their heart's collateral blood vessels don't develop.

Some people think that heart attacks in young people are caused by the Covid vaccine. But the real reason is this wrong lifestyle and addiction to phones.

What can we do to avoid a heart attack?

Preventing heart disease is in our hands. To do so, we need to adopt these habits starting today:

1. Shake your body daily.

You don't have to go to the gym to keep your heart healthy. Just do 30 minutes of brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or running a day. This will help your heart's collateral blood vessels develop properly.

2. Limit phone use

Reduce screen time. Get up and walk at least once an hour. Engage in physically demanding hobbies like gardening and playing sports.

3. Eat a healthy diet

Limit foods high in fat and sugar (fast food) and sugary drinks. Eat a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein.

Do's & Don'ts

Scientific sources (References)

• 📚 Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 - National Health Service (NHS) Guidelines
• 📚Associations of leisure screen time with cardiometabolic biomarkers in college-aged adults - PubMed Central (PMC)
• 📚 A systematic review of correlates of sedentary behavior in adults aged 18–65 years: a socio-ecological approach - PubMed Central (PMC)

The most important take-home message

• Lack of exercise in young people leads to poor development of collateral arteries, which is a major factor that increases the risk of death from a first heart attack.
• Avoid being too addicted to mobile phones and sitting in one place all day. Make it a habit to do some physical exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Sudden death at a young age can be prevented by eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and not ignoring symptoms of heart disease.