Severe unaccustomed exercise without check-up can lead to heart attacks: Expert

New Delhi [India], September 29 : Doctors are constantly alarmed by increasing heart diseases in India. Recently, doctors from AIIMS also emphasised on urgent intervention to reduce the heart disease burden in the country.
Dr Ashok Seth, chairman of Fortis Escorts, said that if a person does not get a medical check-up done before starting strenuous exercise and is unaccustomed to it, he or she can suffer a heart attack.
"The important thing to realise is when we talk about exercise which is good for the heart is brisk walking and aerobic exercise. But exercise which means heavy weight lifting, pushing heavy objects, strenuous extreme severe sports, extreme running are not considered good for the heart," Dr Ashok Seth said. 
"What we're saying is that if you go into severe exercise, which includes severe weightlifting, heavy marathon, running extreme sports, then you should have a cardiac checkup before going for that. Those who do severe unaccustomed exercise can have a heart attack if they haven't had a checkup," he added. 
"It is important to understand that these are good for stamina, they are good for competitive sports, bodybuilding, which is a different matter. We're not saying they should not exercise. Those who do aerobic exercises including fast walking etc do not have sudden heart attacks. Because they are gradually building up to it. So again, it comes back to the same factor. Exercise is good for the heart. Severe unaccustomed exercise, which is anaerobic includes heavy lifting, extreme sports, severe walking, and long-distance running in unaccustomed people can lead to heart attacks which is bad for the heart," he said. 
Talking about precautionary measures, Dr Seth said, "As a precaution, a person has to have a cardiac checkup prior to heavy weight lifting etc. We have seen many of the problems that we see in people who are heavy lifting, who are gyming and also related to the fact that they are not just doing that in a manner which is to build muscles, but also maybe taking other products which are artificial products which are detrimental to the heart."
"We know that there are loads of now these supplements, which are not necessarily natural, available to build muscles, and those are harmful products like steroids, those are regularly used. Those are harmful products," he added. 
"As you know India is the world capital of heart attacks and heart disease. 50 pc of the world's death from heart attacks happens in this region and the causes of heart disease or heart attacks, including the one in young people is all related to a strong family history if somebody in the family has had a heart attack or death at an early age," Dr Seth stated. 
"It goes along with that is smoking the worst risk factor for having heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, and that also goes with the stress of daily life these days, air pollution and of course, many people have had COVID which has also resulted," he added.