New Delhi: There has been a marked increase in sudden deaths in 2022 from 2021, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has shown, though a medical study last month had ruled out a link between sudden deaths and Covid vaccinations.
A total of 56,653 sudden deaths were registered in India last year, compared to 50,773 in 2021 — a rise of 11.6 percent. Of these, heart attacks accounted for 32,457 deaths, up by 12.5 percent from 2021 when 28,413 cases were recorded.
According to the NCRB, sudden death is an “unexpected death that is instantaneous or occurs within minutes from any cause other than violence (for example, heart attack, brain haemorrhage, etc.)”. The NCRB released its “Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India” report for 2022 on Sunday.
According to the report, a total of 47,406 men and 9,243 women suffered sudden deaths last year, with the maximum, 19,456, being in the 45-60 year age group. This was followed by 16,808 deaths among those who were between 30 and 45 years.
As many as 6,819 people died in the 18-30 year bracket, while the toll above 60 years was 11,714. 1,025 children below 14 years died of sudden death, the data showed, while the figure in the 14-18 age group was 838.
The data comes close on the heels of an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, which said Covid vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults.
But, “past COVID-19 hospitalisation, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death,” the research paper based on the analysis of 729 deaths in the 18-45 year age group had concluded.
Some experts pointed out that while increasing heart and cardiovascular diseases in India have been an observable trend over the last decade, the rise in such cases over the last couple of years was particularly concerning.
A senior cardiologist at AIIMS-Delhi said there may not be a direct link between Covid vaccination and sudden deaths, but there was enough evidence to suggest that the pandemic had raised the risk of cardiovascular condition.
The senior cardiologist cited empirical evidence to support his statement. A massive study in the US on over 1.5 lakh volunteers, the findings of which were published in February last year, show that even a mild case of COVID-19 can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after being infected with the virus.
The AIIMS cardiologist also said there was evidence that the rates of many conditions such as heart failure and stroke were substantially higher in people who had recovered from Covid than in people in a similar cohort who hadn’t had the disease.
“The most worrying finding was that the risk was elevated even for those who were under 65 years of age and lacked risk factors.”
‘Need for heightened vigilance’
Dr Rohit Goel, a consulting cardiologist with Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, also said that heart problems have recorded a concerning increase in India over the past two to three years, particularly since the pandemic.
“While initial concerns linked this rise to Covid infections or vaccinations, recent evidence suggests that lifestyle factors play a more significant role,” he said.
Stress, increased smoking, physical inactivity, obesity and sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, uncontrolled diabetes, and uncontrolled hypertension are among the primary culprits, according to the doctor.
He also underlined that these risk factors, previously associated with older age groups, were now increasingly prevalent in individuals in their 20s and 30s.
“This shift in risk factors highlights the need for heightened vigilance and regular heart screenings among younger individuals,” Goel said. “Early detection and treatment of heart problems can effectively control the epidemic of coronary artery disease.”
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