The Modern Menace of Heart Attacks

Too many people in their 50s, known to me, around the world, have died of heart attacks in the last few weeks. Makes me wonder, and worry!!

1. A close female cousin of both my wife and mine, of my wife’s age, died of heart attack in Jaipur, India, after a couple of months of kidney failures.

2. A close friend’s male cousin, a cardiologist, in Chicago, died while in late 40s.

3. A male classmate and close friend, exactly my age, died of a heart attack in Sydney.

4. A former female close family friend from Austin Texas, now residing in Chicago, of my wife’s age, died of heart attack.

5. A younger brother of another close classmate friend, also my age, died in Nepal, of heart attack.

6. A close classmate, in Dubai, was lucky enough to survive from a massive heart attack.

7&8. Two former colleagues from my first job in Wipro in Delhi, died of heart attacks in Pune and Delhi respectively.

For each of the first two in this list above, both of their parents are still alive and healthy. So heredity alone is not to blame.

What is happening? I spoke with a cardiologist friend in Ames, Iowa, who is a nephew of the friend #5 above.  This cardiologist had to rush to India an year ago to save another of those young uncles after a heart attack. This doctor friend said, at least India is sitting on a ticking time bomb of heart attacks. Bad diets and sedentary life styles are to blame. Even doctors sit all day and don’t move at all, he said! Sitting is the new smoking. And if I may add, sugar is the new nicotine. Stress is the ultimate killer though!!

Folks wake up! Get off your hinds!! Move around!!! Smell the roses. There is no iron clad guarantee of long life no matter what the actuarial statistics indicate. We are not immune from the environment we all live in.  Take care of yourself.  My classmate completely reversed his diabetes. My dad completely reversed his hypertension. Through proper diet, exercise, pranayama, meditation and yoga.

PLEASE go on a healthy diet before the doctor prescribes a bland boring salt-free diet.  Being sick is no fun. It is bad enough for yourself, ans othing feels or tastes good. But it is difficult for your family. And it is devastating and heart-breaking for your elderly parents should you they still be alive!! And it is pretty bad for your finances!!! Try Ayurveda and Acupuncture and Naturopathy and Homeopathy if you need a cure.  Please also learn to meditate. All this might save, and prolong, and enliven your life!!!

Updated: June 18, 2017

Happy Father’s Day!

Since the above post many other known people have died, from cancer and heart issues. They were all close to my age, or a little older.

9. A healthy, recently retired, close friend in Austin suddenly died on a visit to India, two weeks ago, from lung and heart issues.

10. A Cleveland friend’s neighbor, my age, dropped dead from heart attack outside his house a few weeks ago.

11.  A close local Iowa friend, a bubbly long-term meditator and our realtor, died of cancer two weeks ago.

12.  A local Iowa faculty colleague, died of cancer one week ago (after suffering for a couple of years though).

13. A local Iowa friend’s brother, who lives in Toronto suddenly died on heart attack a few weeks ago.

14. A close IIT friend’s dad in India had a fall, and then his heart gave up during surgery, a few weeks ago.

15. An IIT alum just a couple of years senior died suddenly of heart attack in Atlanta earlier this year.

Message: We should be grateful to be alive. Should not take a single moment for granted. Do not delay till tomorrow what we can do today. And take full care of health!!