Singer KK’s demise due to cardiac arrest: Doctors recommend key habits for a healthy heart

Legendary musician Krishnakumar Kunnath won millions of hearts with his soulful melodies along his illustrious career. Yet, the beloved singer’s tragic and untimely demise following a concert in a south Kolkata college sent shockwaves through the industry. The 53-year-old singer had reportedly complained of “feeling heavy” and happened to be perspiring heavily at the time of his final performance. But what came to light was the musician’s prolonged cardiac issues.

KK’s history of heart disease

The singer reportedly suffered from ‘prolonged cardiac issues’ and the post mortem revealed that he had weak lungs and liver. Reports suggest that the autopsy showed that he had several heart blockages and the cause of death was a sudden cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction. Authorities revealed that his life may have been saved had timely cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) been administered.

The seriousness of the singer’s heart ailments and subsequent demise at 53, compels us to take a closer look at early detection in cases of heart disease.

Cause of increased deaths due to cardiac arrest in younger patients

In recent years, the untimely demise of actors Sidharth Shukla (aged 40) and Puneeth Rajkumar who was 46 raises serious concerns about heart health. This is mainly because the actors who seemed to be in ship shape, passed away after suffering heart attacks. Elaborating on the causes of sudden heart attacks in younger people, we have Dr Chandan Sourav, Consultant- Interventional Cardiology at Manipal Hospital Hebbal. He opines, “In the wake of the recent Covid pandemic, we see increased incidents of young people dying from heart attacks. This is precisely why early identification of risk factors in young individuals is necessary.”

He continues, “Conventionally people experienced heart disease beyond the age of 60. But now young Indians suffer heart attacks a decade or two earlier than the western population. Today, youngsters are prone to diabetes, hypertension, Dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol) and tend to smoke. This is one of the reasons as smoking causes a lot of hemodynamic changes in the heart and can give rise to sudden cardiac arrest or sudden heart attacks. Also, there are genetic factors like family history of heart problem. If there is a close relative who has a heart attack below the age of 55, it becomes a risk factor you need to consider.”

Discern whether you are at risk for heart disease

Dr. Saikat Kanjilal, Consultant – Interventional Cardiologist believes that major risk factors for cardiovascular disease are modifiable. “For adults to maintain a healthy heart and liver, risk factors like smoking, weight gain and obesity must be worked upon. People today have unhealthy diets and physical inactivity that results in high cholesterol and dyslipidemia. This is in addition to hypertension/high blood pressure and diabetes, pollution, mental health and stress.” 

The importance of regular check-ups for early detection

Explaining the importance of an annual general health check-up, Dr. Pramod V Satya, Consultant- Internal Medicine at Manipal Hospital Millers Road says, “Annual health check-ups are directed to detect who has a predisposition to have a heart attack, as well as to detect cancers at an early stage. We tend to find many other things like an occult infection, or something we don’t expect, which can also be treated so getting an annual health checkup periodically is key.

Dr Chandan muses about the first things to opt for, “Get an ECG and insist on follow-ups if you have risk factors. Opt for a Lipid profile and test the cholesterol and sugar levels of your body. I’ll advise healthy individuals to do this yearly. If you find abnormal choloestrol levels, consult a physician as they’ll help you change your diet to lower cholesterol. If you already have diabetes or hypotension, you need to keep it under control with regular blood glucose tests and keep your blood pressure under check.”

While the doctors have shared their pearls of wisdom, it is now up to us to unabashedly audit our lifestyle and weed out the pesky habits like smoking and frequent junk food binges that are doing more harm than good. After all, a happy heart makes for a happy life!

Also Read: 6 Heart healthy ways for women to improve their heart health