Recently Actor Shreyas Talpade underwent an angioplasty when he suffered a serious cardiac arrest. Shreyas was hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital. He opened up about his near-death experience expressing what he realized after being “clinically dead” in the hospital. He calls it a wake-up call and says that he has been over-exerting himself so much with work that he didn’t look after his health.
The actor was clinically dead
“Clinically I was dead”- the actor told the Bombay Times in an interview. Clinically, I was dead. It was a massive cardiac arrest. The doctors tried CPR and electrical shock, that’s how they revived me. A wake-up call would be an understatement. This is my second chance at life. For the past 28 years, I have just been focusing on my career. We take ourselves and our families for granted. We think we have time,” he said. In his recent interaction with the media, he shared how it is so important not to take our health and family for granted.
How chronic stress can impact our health
Chronic stress is the number one cause of several health conditions these days, be it mental or physical. Dr Nishith Chandra, Principal Director, Interventional Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, says, “The human body is equipped to handle stressful situations. It has a natural mechanism to respond to emergency or crisis situations, what we call the fight and flight response. We get rapid heartbeats and goosebumps. But then they subside when the moment passes. But if this mechanism is constantly pressed into action, it can harm you. Slowly over time, acute stress turns into chronic stress.” Elevated levels of hormones like endorphins, cortisol, and adrenaline from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. It also causes inflammation in the blood vessels. The heart attack risk has gone up after COVID and hence it is important to be regularly checked and to be careful with our health says DR. Chandra.
Taking time for oneself is important
“Most of my patients say they do not have time for themselves. People should realize that jobs and the insecurities and competition that come with them are one aspect but health is supreme. Without it, keeping the job would be a bigger problem,” Dr Chandra said. He also mentioned the importance of getting checked by a cardiologist frequently especially if you have a highly stressful job. Being active physically and taking care of your mental health are two of the most important factors in combating heart disease.
By: Gursharan Kaur