In 10 years, sudden deaths due to heart attack rose 26% in Gujarat: NCRB

Ahmedabad: In 2024, Gujarat Police recorded accidental deaths of 3,253 persons, with heart attack found to be the cause of death. The number effectively translated into, on average, nine deaths daily. Of the total victims, 89.4% were men.Sudden deaths for which heart attack has been cited as the reason have increased by 26% in a decade from 2,581 cases in 2015.In fact, the state’s tally was the third highest in India in 2024 after Maharashtra (14,874) and Kerala (5,015). The state accounted for 8.5% of the total heart attack deaths in India that were termed ‘accidental deaths.’The data is part of the recently released report “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2024” by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).Of the 23,790 accidental deaths in Gujarat, 13.7% were attributed to heart attacks.Since 2023, several videos capturing persons — mostly men — collapsing suddenly after dance or other activities in Gujarat have gone viral and sparked concern among citizens about the growing trend of coronary artery disease (CAD).According to the report, heart attack was the second major factor in accidental deaths in Gujarat after road accidents that claimed 7,717 lives. Gujarat recorded 31,450 total cases in which 14,952 persons were injured and 23,790 persons died. In terms of total accidental deaths, the state recorded the seventh highest number among the Indian states.The number of deaths in 2024 surpassed the earlier highest number of 3,206 recorded in 2018. In the past decade, the year-on-year growth was negative only three times, including in the Covid year 2020, according to analysis.City-based experts see the trend as an amalgamation of multiple factors. Dr Jayesh Prajapati, professor of cardiology at the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre (UNMICRC), said that after Covid, they see a major change in food habits.“As a society, we are eating out more, consuming ultra-processed and rich food that eventually results in a rise in cholesterol levels,” Prajapati said. “Moreover, several studies have indicated higher levels of LDL and lower levels of HDL, changing the lipid profile overall.”He said, “Combine these factors with a sedentary lifestyle and factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, and you have a society precariously perched on a silent epidemic of CAD.”Earlier studies based in Gujarat and Ahmedabad had pointed at plaque rupture in the arteries as a major factor for sudden death cases due to heart attack. Some other factors included coronary inflammation, angiopathy, and cardiomyopathy, added experts.They pointed to the prevalence of heart diseases at a relatively younger age and factors such as stress. Cardiologists advised regular check-ups after the age of 40 to prevent the chances of major heart diseases with early intervention.BOX1The Fatal StopHighest sudden deaths attributed to heart attacks, in 2024 in GujYear | Deaths2015 2,5812016 2,7992017 2,8132018 3,2062019 2,8882020 2,5792021 2,9482022 2,8532023 3,1562024 3,253BOX 2Risk ListTop states recording sudden deaths due to heart attacksState | DeathsMaharashtra 14,874Kerala 5,015Gujarat 3,253Karnataka 2,568Madhya Pradesh 2,115Source: NCRB