Time was when cardiac problems were synonymous with middle and old age. However, thanks to the growing stress, a fast lifestyle, excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol and junk food, cardiac problems are haunting people as young as those in their 20s and early 30s.

Heartache and cardiac problems have emerged as the most common lifestyle and work-related diseases today. Earlier, people above the 40-45 age bracket were vulnerable to cardiac-related diseases.

?It?s quite surprising but nowadays, people below 30 are suffering from cardiac problems. Such cases are on rise,? said Shuvo Dutta, consultant cardiologist of BM Birla Heart Research Centre, who treated a 24-year-old youth, who had suffered a massive cardiac arrest.

The patient (name withheld) ignored his acute breathing problems while running or walking. One night, he felt severe chest pain and was admitted to BM Birla Heart Research Centre.

?Although he has recovered for now, but he will have to follow certain restrictions. Chances are that he will require a cardiac transplant,? said Dutta.

?Hypertension and stress in the workplace has increased manifold. Besides, odd working hours, rise in smoking and drinking habits and chewing of tobacco account for heart problems at a young age,? he pointed out.

?The alarming factor is the changing disease patterns, like early heart attacks and resultant myocardial damage, is much more severe,? observed Kunal Sarkar, cardiac surgeon of Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences.

He added that there has been an overall increase in coronary disease from six per cent to 10 per cent in the past decade.

One of the major factors responsible is rise in diabetes at an early age. Earlier, nearly 30 per cent of the cardiac patients were diagnosed with diabetes. Now, it has gone up to more than 50 per cent.

?Diabetes is quite common among teenagers now. This is responsible for the rise in cardiac problems,? said Subhankar Chowdhury, head of the endocrinology department of Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research and SSKM Hospital.

Chowdhury added that obesity due to consumption of junk food is also a big factor.

Balanced diet with less fat and carbohydrates and lots of fresh vegetables is the only way to avoid cardiac problems, the doctor observed.