A disturbing surge in heart attack-related deaths has raised alarms in Karnataka’s Hassan district, with 22 people dying in just 40 days. What has truly unsettled health authorities is that a significant number of the victims were young or middle-aged, indicating a potential emerging public health crisis.
Out of the 22 deaths, five victims were aged between 19 and 25, while eight were between 25 and 45 years old. Only a few were above 60 years of age — a stark deviation from the typical cardiac risk group.
The pattern has shocked the medical community and the public, particularly as many victims reportedly died suddenly during daily activities or at home, with no clear cardiac diagnosis confirmed so far.
According to media, four deaths were recorded on June 30 alone. The victims were:
- Lepakshi, a 50-year-old homemaker from JP Nagar, Belur, who collapsed after feeling fatigued.
- Professor Muttayya, 58, an English lecturer from Holenarasipura, who suffered a heart attack while having tea.
- Kumar, 57, a D-Group employee from Channarayapatna, who died after being hospitalized with chest pain.
- Satyanarayana Rao, 63, of Rangolihalli colony, who collapsed suddenly.
What Are Authorities Saying?
In response, Hassan Deputy Commissioner KS Lathakumari has set up a six-member committee to investigate the deaths. The team includes the district health officer, the director of the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, and cardiologists. They’ve been instructed to submit a detailed report within a week.
Dr Rajanna B, director of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, shared critical insights:
“Most deaths occurred at home or while doing routine chores, only 2 of them occurred in the institution… None of these have undergone any postmortem, so it is difficult to tell the reason for death, because only 40% of the chest pain cases occur due to sudden cardiac arrest.”
He further added:
“A committee was formed yesterday after a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Lathakumari. We will do a survey on all these deaths and take technical data.”
While initial suspicion points toward cardiac arrest, the lack of postmortem examinations and limited hospital-based deaths have made it difficult to draw conclusions. The committee plans to conduct a detailed technical survey to establish possible patterns and determine whether lifestyle, environmental, or external factors are contributing to this alarming trend.