Stress at work? Doctors see rise in heart diseases among young executives

The Alarming Trend: Heart Diseases Among Young Professionals

Rising Statistics in Corporate India

The statistics in India regarding heart diseases is a disturbing and shocking picture. Over the last 10 years, cardiovascular disease cases among professionals have increased by nearly 40% in metropolitan cities like Kolkata. Cardiologists in Kolkata that once primarily treated senior patients for heart-related issues now regularly admit young people suffering from heart attacks, arrhythmias, and other serious cardiovascular conditions.

Dr. Biswajit Majumder, one of the top cardiologists in Kolkata, reports seeing at least three to four cases weekly of professionals under 35 experiencing their first cardiac event.

He added, “The demographic has completely shifted,” he explains. “We’re seeing software engineers, investment bankers, startup founders, and corporate managers who are experiencing heart problems that we typically associated with patients 20 years older.”

The IT sector in Kolkata has become a particularly concerning hotspot. It is because for its demanding work culture and high-stress working environment. The deadlines, deliveries on time, long working schedules, irregular eating, lack of sleeping and chronic stress has created a perfect storm for heart diseases among young professionals.

What Cardiologists in Kolkata Are Observing?

Top cardiologists in Kolkata are witnessing unique changes in patient demographics. Emergency rooms that once saw heart disease patients primarily during daytime hours now report cardiac events occurring frequently during late evening and early morning hours. Here we are sharing some case studies-

A 34-year-old marketing executive experiencing chest pain after office hours, a 42 years old banking professional almost collapsing from a heart attack during a crucial meeting and a 29-year-old corporate professional developing congestive heart failure symptoms.

These cases share common factors- strict work environments, nominal physical activity, poor dietary habits, inadequate sleep, and chronic stress. The cumulative effect of these factors is heart diseases.

Types of Heart Disease Common in Young Professionals

Most of us are not even aware of types of heart diseases and lack of awareness lead us to serious heart failure.

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease has arisen as the most dominant factor among stressed people. This condition occurs when the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle, become narrowed or blocked due to atherosclerosis. This process is accelerated by chronic stress, poor diet, and minimal exercise. Young professionals often develop this condition due to stress.

Ischemic Heart Disease

It is another significant concern for working professionals. This condition involves reduced blood supply to the heart muscle. It is often triggered by the combination of stress-induced arterial constriction and lifestyle factors common in high-pressure work environments. The condition can develop silently over years.

Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease presents unique challenges for young people. While these they may have managed their conditions successfully during their younger years, the added stress of demanding careers can worsen existing heart problems.

Heart Failure in young adults has become increasingly common, particularly among executives who ignore early heart failure symptoms.

Symptoms of Heart Disease Every One Should Know

Early Warning Signs Often Ignored

Young people often dismiss heart failure symptoms as temporary stress responses or normal consequences of their demanding lifestyles. However, knowing early warning signs can be life-saving. Chest discomfort during stressful meetings, particularly if it involves pressure, squeezing, or burning sensations, should never be ignored. This discomfort may radiate to the arms, neck, jaw, or back and often worsens during periods of high stress.

Shortness of breath during presentations or after climbing stairs is another critical warning sign. While occasional breathlessness is normal, persistent difficulty breathing during routine activities signals potential heart problems. Many executives attribute this symptom to being “out of shape” without realizing it could indicate serious cardiovascular issues.

Fatigue that goes beyond normal work tiredness represents another red flag. Heart disease-related fatigue is profound and doesn’t improve with rest. Executives experiencing this symptom often find themselves struggling to maintain their usual work performance despite adequate sleep.

Irregular heartbeat during high-pressure situations, including palpitations, racing heart, or feeling like the heart is “skipping beats,” can indicate various heart conditions. While stress can cause temporary heart rhythm changes, persistent irregularities require medical evaluation.

Heart Failure Symptoms in Young Adults

Heart failure symptoms in young professionals often develop gradually year after year. Unfortunately, these symptoms may be mistaken for other conditions.

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Sudden weight gain
• Swelling in legs and ankles after long work days.
• A persistent cough

These are the common symptoms of heart diseases. Many young adults dismiss these symptoms as allergies or work-related. They don’t realize that it may lead them to serious heart disease or congestive heart failure.

What Is Work-Related Stress and How Does It Affect Heart Health?

Understanding the Stress-Heart Connection

Work-related stress includes the physical and emotional responses while your job role demands more responsivities that exceeds your capabilities and resources. For many young IT engineer and executives, they have to meet the target, complete all the work before deadlines and perform the best. This too much pressure environment creates an imbalance work-life balance.

It is rare to get employee-friendly work environment where there is a strict working hours, healthy competition and less stress. When young employees face stressful meetings, their bodies continuously release cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are responsible for short-term ‘fight or flight’.

Chronic raise of cortisol and adrenaline hormones leads to sustained increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, creating ideal conditions for cardiovascular disease development.

Long working schedules multiple these effects by disrupting natural circadian rhythms. As per the recent research, young employees work more than 55 hours per week in India have significantly higher risks of developing heart disease compared to those maintaining standard work schedules.

The Corporate Lifestyle Factor

Inactive work habits dominant in executive/engineer/data analysist/designer roles contribute significantly to heart disease risk. Spending eight to twelve hours daily sitting at desks, in meetings, or traveling reduces physical activity is dangerous. This corporate unhealthy lifestyle leads to weakened cardiovascular fitness, increased blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Another factor of heart disease is irregular and unhealthy eating patterns common among busy executives. Here are some patterns-

• Skipping breakfast which is dangerous for digestive system
• Eating lunch at irregular times
• Having multiple cup of coffees
• Consuming high-calorie dinners
• Consuming sugary drinks

Apart from these, lack of sleep significantly impacts heart health. The ‘Netflix and chill’ generation has no regular sleeping pattern and due to chronic sleep loss increases inflammation. It also raises blood pressure, and disrupts hormonal balance. As these factors contribute to accelerated heart disease symptoms.

High Cholesterol and Executive Lifestyle

High cholesterol and heart diseases are go hand by hand. The irregular eating patterns involve consuming high fat, carbohydrate and sugary foods for quick energy. These dietary choices are highly unhealthy. Moreover, these young people don’t do any workouts or physical activity.

The relationship between work pressure and metabolic changes is complicated but important. Chronic stress alters how the body processes fats and sugars, often leading to increased production of cholesterol and triglycerides. To prevent heart diseases, one should always choose the healthy eating options.

How to Take Care of Your Heart?

Now the question is how you can take care of your heart? Working in the fast-paced working environment, prevention is the best heart disease treatment. Young people must prioritize their heart health to avoid serious complications like coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure or stroke. Here are some easy tips to get a healthy heart from our cardiologist at Eskag Sanjeevani Hospitals-

1. Do exercise

Do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise like yoga, free-hand exercise, aerobic activity every day. Take break during long working hours, taking stairs and walk at least for 30 minutes between lunch break.

2. Eat Heart-Healthy Diet

Avoid trans fats, high-sodium meals, and sugary drinks. Instead, add more seasonal fruits, leafy vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and omega-3-rich foods in your daily meals. Maintaining a balanced diet is key to lowering high cholesterol.

3. Managing Stress

Young people must do meditation including deep breathing exercises to manage stress at work. It is high-time to maintain work life balance, maintaining a strict schedule, spend quality time with family and loved ones, setting boundaries and seeking counselling if one needs to maintain healthy heart and mental health.

4. Get Quality Sleep

Make sure you finish your dinner early. 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is the golden key to have a healthy heart. Poor sleep quality leads to higher cortisol levels, insulin resistance, and increased risk of heart and stroke complications.

5. Avoid Smoking and Alcohol

Both smoking and excessive alcohol intake are major risk factors for developing various types of heart disease, including coronary heart disease and heart failure.

6. regular check-up for you heart Health

Regular health check-ups are crucial to detect early symptoms of heart disease. Tracking your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar is now necessary for people who are in mid-30’s. If you experience heart failure symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath, consult an experienced cardiologist at Eskag Sanjeevani Hospitals immediately.

How to Find the Best Cardiologist in Kolkata?

When it comes to managing heart disease, early diagnosis and expert care can make all the difference. At Eskag Sanjeevani Hospital, we are home to the best cardiologists in Kolkata who are all experienced in cardiology field. From regular check-up then advanced diagnostics to cutting-edge treatments, our cardiology department offers personalized care for all heart conditions.

What are the Services Include in our heart health care services?

• Advanced ECG, ECHO, and Holter Monitoring
• Cardiac CT and Color Doppler Imaging
• Permanent and Temporary Pacemaker Implants
• Congestive Heart Failure Treatment
• Management of High Cholesterol and Hypertension

Whether you’re concerned about high cholesterol, symptoms of heart disease, or need congestive heart failure treatment, Eskag Sanjeevani provides patient-first care, helping you lead a longer, healthier life.

Book your appointment today with the best cardiologists in Kolkata.