No unusual spike in sudden cardiac deaths among youngsters in Karnataka's Hassan Report

Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) An investigation into recent cases of sudden deaths and heart attacks among young individuals in Karnataka’s Hassan district has found no abnormal increase, according to a report submitted to the state government on Thursday.
    The data analysis of cardiac cases at the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and its peripheral centres in Mysuru and Kalaburagi over the past six months also did not reveal any rising trend in cardiac-related fatalities.
    The inquiry was ordered following widespread public concern and media reports about "a perceived spike in sudden cardiac deaths among young adults in Hassan".
    A committee was formed to examine each of the 24 deaths reported between May and June 2025 in the district, particularly among individuals aged between 14 and 45 years.
    Jayadeva Institute director Dr K S Ravindranath submitted the report titled "Investigative Report on Recent Increase in Sudden Deaths in Young Adults in Hassan District" to Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who shared the findings with the media on Thursday.
    Addressing reporters, Rao said the inquiry did not reveal any significant change in the number of heart attacks in recent months.
    "There has been no drastic increase. In 75 per cent of the cases, reasons for death could now be ascertained. In the remaining 25 per cent, the causes remain unknown," he said.
    He noted that the absence of postmortems in all cases limited the availability of complete data. Among the deceased, seven individuals aged between 19 and 43 died suddenly.
    "There were sudden deaths of individuals aged 19, 21, 23, and 32, which is concerning. Of the 20 sudden deaths, seven were under the age of 45. This needs serious attention," he added.
    Autopsy reports were available in four of these seven young adult cases, and they indicated familial hypercholesterolemia—a genetic condition that could have been identified through screening, the minister said, adding in some cases, habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption were noted.
    The report, which was shared with media, said that the number of heart attacks and deaths in the district remained consistent with previous months. However, it acknowledged that the lack of autopsy and clinical data, along with limited medical history from families, made it difficult to draw definitive conclusions in all cases.
    The report emphasised the growing burden of premature cardiovascular disease and called for early screening programmes, better health education, and mandatory investigation protocols—including postmortems—in all sudden deaths among apparently healthy young adults.
    The committee recommended implementing a Cardiac Health Surveillance Programme. It also proposed mandatory autopsies for all out-of-hospital sudden cardiac deaths, ensuring the availability of ECG machines and emergency cardiac medications like Ecosprin, Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin, and Heparin at all Primary and Community Health Centres.
    Further, the panel underscored the importance of strengthening emergency response systems, introducing CPR training in schools, colleges, gyms, and ensuring the availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in crowded areas such as malls and fitness centres.
    Cardiac screening for autorickshaw and cab drivers was also recommended.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)