Kolkata hospitals see spike in 'festive heart syndrome'

Kolkata: Even as the festive fervour was on everyone's minds, several Kolkatans took it to heart as well, maybe a bit too literally. Several hospitals in the city saw a sharp rise in cardiac patients during the four days of Durga Puja, some of them with "festive heart syndrome" - a heart attack triggered by sudden exertion, excitement or binge drinking.

Many of these patients were below 40 and did not have a history of cardiac ailment or prior symptoms of a heart condition, doctors said.

Fortis Hospital admitted 20 patients who suffered heart attacks between September 30 and October 6. Several of them did not have prior cardiac ailments and suffered the attacks after a period of "unaccustomed exertion" during Durga Puja, said the hospital's cardio-vascular surgeon, K M Mandana.

"Festive cardiac syndrome is a sudden cardiac arrest triggered by a period of hectic activity or physical exertion, typically during festivals," Mandana said.

"It strikes those who are not used to such physical strain and is common during Durga Puja, when people go pandal-hopping for hours at a stretch, stay awake through the night, walk long distances or indulge in unrestricted eating or binge drinking. These can affect the pumping of the heart and lead to a heart attack. We saw several such cases this time." he added.