# Post-COVID cardiac emergencies among young adults surge 2.5x: Raipur study 2026-08-22T13:36:31+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A clinical study at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Medical Hospital in Raipur has found that the share of cardiac emergencies among patients aged 40 or younger rose from 8% before the pandemic to nearly 21% after it, a more than two-and-a-half-fold increase. The study tracked 288 patients admitted with Acute Coronary Syndrome between March 2024 and February 2025. Within the under-40 cohort, alcohol consumption nearly doubled from 26.4% to over 50.7%, and type-2 diabetes quadrupled from 10.3% to over 45%. Tobacco and gutkha use affected nearly a third of young patients. Dr Smit Shrivastava, who led the research, attributed the trend to post-pandemic lifestyle changes including sedentary work, lack of exercise, substance abuse, and irregular eating. The study also found that nearly 41% of young patients had single-vessel arterial blockages. Medical experts recommend 30 minutes of daily exercise, avoiding intoxicants, and periodic cardiovascular screenings, especially for those with a family history of heart disease. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India has seen a steady rise in cardiovascular disease among the young over the past decade, but the pandemic accelerated metabolic damage through lockdown-induced inactivity and stress. The Raipur study is one of the first to quantify this shift in a central Indian government hospital, making it representative of a population with limited access to preventive care. With nearly half the under-40 patients now diabetic and half consuming alcohol, the burden on state-run cardiology units will grow. The Chhattisgarh government will need to expand outpatient screening and strengthen district-level cardiac care, since most young patients arrive with acute symptoms and single-vessel blockages that are treatable if caught early. The next milestone will be whether national health surveys confirm this trend at scale. ## Coverage - newindianexpress.com Presents study findings straight, with no editorialising and no attribution to government or opposition. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Acute Coronary Syndrome, Chhattisgarh, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Medical Hospital, Raipur Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/post-covid-cardiac-emergencies-among-young-adults-surge-2-5x-raipur-study/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/post-covid-cardiac-emergencies-among-young-adults-surge-2-5x-raipur-study/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/