Rituraj Singh’s Sudden Heart attack: Link Between Pancreatic Illness and Heart Explained?
The news of TV actor Rituraj Singh’s passing at 59, following a sudden heart attack after treatment for a pancreatic illness, raises questions about the connection between the two conditions. People wonder if any form of pancreatic disease poses a risk to the heart. Although some studies suggest an association, a clear causation has not been established.
Rituraj Singh getting a heart attack
Dr. Sanjeev Gera, Director and HOD, Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Noida, explains, Pancreatic illness can’t cause cardiac arrest directly. Unless someone has an undiagnosed heart condition or risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, or a sedentary lifestyle.
Individuals with these risk factors and pancreatic illness are vulnerable to small blockages causing heart attacks. Sometimes, clotting and blockages disrupt the heart’s electric impulses, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
Based on patient anecdotes, those with pancreatic illness are often heavy smokers and alcoholics, increasing the likelihood of silent heart disease.
Furthermore, if a patient suffers from an infection such as acute pancreatitis, the body undergoes increased inflammation. Elevated inflammatory markers cause blood thickening, resulting in clot formation. Moreover, inflammation causes damage to blood vessel walls, rendering plaques susceptible to rupture, initiating clotting, and precipitating a heart attack.
Dr. Gera clarifies that a heart attack disrupts blood flow. The impaired heart tissue interferes with electrical signals that regulate the heart, culminating in a sudden cardiac arrest.
When dealing with patients experiencing acute pancreatitis, it’s crucial to consider stress cardiomyopathy. This condition, due to its taxing nature, prompts the body to release adrenaline and noradrenaline in response. The surplus adrenaline rush constricts the arteries and reduces blood flow to the heart.
Additionally, the excess adrenaline can lead to an influx of calcium into the cells. Disrupting the heart’s proper rhythm, inducing arrhythmia, halting the heart, and ultimately causing a sudden cardiac arrest. Dr. Gera emphasizes the importance of recognizing such connections to provide comprehensive care to patients with pancreatic illnesses.
