PANAJI
Alarm bells are ringing in Goa's medical fraternity over the surge in strokes and heart attacks among younger adults and doctors are urging regular blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring as preventive measures.
Often seen as a laid-back (sussegad) lot, Goans are now grappling with this worrying health trend -- an increase in cardiovascular emergencies among people under 40.
Official Health and Family Welfare ministry data suggests that one in five heart attack patients nationwide is now below 40 years of age. In Goa too, the trend is similar with medical experts attributing this to lifestyles, high stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor dietary habits.
A senior doctor at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), which is the State's premiere and largest tertiary healthcare institution, said over the last two years, 2,904 heart attack cases have been recorded. This means, there have been four admissions daily on account of heart-related diseases.
Goa's Directorate of Health Services records also show a 14.3% year-on-year rise in heart attack cases in 2024 compared to 2023, with the Bardez taluka reporting the highest incidence.
Several doctors The Goan spoke to also noted that while older patients still dominate, the proportion of younger victims has grown steadily.
Complementing GMC’s data, the STEMI program, a government initiative for rapid heart attack detection, reported 5,000 heart attacks in Goa over the last four years, with over 1.7 lakh people screened.
This year too, DHS sources said, multiple cases were detected in real time at camps, leading to immediate intervention.
Doctors across Goa are now strongly recommending routine monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, even for those in their 20s and 30s.
Preventive screenings, some doctors said, can catch early warning signs before they escalate into life-threatening emergencies.
Public health campaigns are also being intensified by the DHS to promote healthier diets, regular exercise, and reduced tobacco and alcohol use.
Meanwhile, the Economic Survey 2024–25 revealed that 47% of natural deaths in Goa are now due to non-communicable diseases like heart ailments, cancers, and diabetes, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
