Health / Young Cricket Player Dies Of Heart Attack In Odisha's Gunupur

Gunupur, Sep 27: A young cricket player died after suffering a suspected heart attack at his home in Rayagada's Gunupur, a source said on Sunday.

The deceased, identified as P Rajesh, reportedly fell ill while playing cricket at the Sugar Factory ground. After experiencing discomfort, he left the match midway and returned home.

Rajesh subsequently suffered a heart attack at home. His family members rushed him to the Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the source informed.

Regular Health Checks Important Even For Young People
The incident highlights the importance of paying attention to cardiovascular health, even among younger people. Doctors generally recommend that health checks should be based on a person's age, family history and risk factors rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.

Routine monitoring can include blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol checks, while an ECG or other cardiac tests may be advised by a doctor when symptoms, medical history or risk factors warrant them. Symptoms such as unexplained chest discomfort, breathlessness, fainting, unusual sweating or sudden weakness should not be ignored. The WHO notes that a heart attack can sometimes be the first sign of underlying cardiovascular disease.

Also Read: Bol Bam Devotee Dies of Suspected Heart Attack While Descending Jumanagiri Hill In Odisha

What NFHS-6 Says About Heart Health
India's latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), conducted in 2023–24, does not report the annual number of deaths specifically caused by heart attacks.

According to the Union Health Ministry's summary of NFHS-6 findings, the proportion of adults aged 15 and above with high or very high blood sugar, or taking medication to control blood sugar, increased from 13.5% to 17.8% among women and from 15.6% to 20.9% among men between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6. The survey also found that 30.7% of women and 27.3% of men aged 15–49 were overweight or obese.

For mortality, WHO's latest available country estimates show ischaemic heart disease accounted for an estimated 110.8 deaths per 100,000 people in India in 2021.