Bengaluru: The IT hub’s fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle is casting a long shadow on public health, with the city recording between 2,800 and 3,000 sudden deaths every year, most of them linked to cardiac arrest and other cardiovascular conditions.The grim statistic, which is often reflected in disturbing viral videos of people collapsing while walking, exercising or going about routine chores, has sparked renewed concern among doctors and public health experts. As per data from the home department, in 2025 alone, Bengaluru recorded around 3,200 sudden deaths, up from 2,962 in 2024, 2,979 in 2023, and 2,850 in 2022.
A medical sudden death is defined as one that occurs abruptly — within an hour or a day — most commonly due to cardiac causes, though conditions such as aneurysm rupture can also be responsible. While sudden deaths cut across age groups, doctors say men are more vulnerable than women. “Men are generally more prone (to sudden deaths), largely due to higher smoking rates. Women may have some hormonal protection pre-menopause. Post menopause, probably the frequency is equal in both sexes,” said Dr Vikram B Kolhari, senior consultant (cardiology), Apollo Hospitals.Access to timely medical care also plays a critical role. Dr Bagirath Raghuraman, senior consultant and director of heart transplant (adult cardiology) at Narayana Health, added: “From genetic electrical disorders like Long QT syndrome or Brugada syndrome (heart rhythm disorder) to undiagnosed structural heart disease, early familial coronary artery disease could all lead to sudden deaths. Among youngsters, especially, drug abuse could directly lead to cardiac deaths. The other big fad among younger boys is the use of bodybuilding supplements and steroids. Even energy drinks, which are heavily caffeinated, can cause sudden cardiac arrest.”While exercise is essential for heart health, extreme exertion can be detrimental, Dr Bagirath warned. “When routine individuals get into extreme or intense physical or sports activities, the plaque (cholesterol deposits) inside the coronary artery could rupture and totally block the blood supply to the heart and cause sudden death,” he said, advising such intense training should only be conducted under certified professional trainers after a consultation with cardiologists.Has Covid-19 had an impact? While any viral infection can lead to inflammation of the heart, doctors say there is no evidence to show Covid or its vaccine had any long-term effect on cardiovascular health. “Vaccine-induced inflammation is confined to the first one to two weeks, with no enduring cardiovascular effects. Attributing current cardiovascular issues to Covid or vaccination diverts attention from the critical decline in healthy lifestyles over the past 4-5 years, driven by job demands, remote work, extended hours, workplace stress, job losses, and rising tobacco and drug use, all of which heighten the risk of sudden cardiac events in younger people,” said Dr Sreekanth Shetty, director and HOD — cardiology at Sakra World Hospital.
