A 23-year-old woman died while dancing on the stage during a wedding ceremony in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha in India. The woman, identified as Parineeta, had gone to Vidisha to attend her cousin's wedding. She hailed from Indore. Media reports have claimed that she suffered a heart attack while dancing and died immediately on the stage. 

Advertisment

The incident reportedly happened on Saturday (Feb 8). Some relatives, who were doctors by profession, attempted to revive her using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but failed. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. 

Also read: How to manage asthma and win like Olympian Noah Lyles? Exclusive expert tips 

Video of the moment when the woman fell flat on her face has gone viral on social media platforms, raising concerns over more and more heart-related problems in young individuals. 

Advertisment

Watch the video here:

WION spoke to experts to get a deeper insight into what causes sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. Why does the heart abruptly stops beating? 

Advertisment

Also read: People with THIS blood group might stay younger for longer 

Dr Aseem Dhall, Director and Head of the department of Cardiology at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, commented on the tragic incident in Vidisha, calling it "very unfortunate." 

Dr Dhall told WION, "It is very unfortunate that young life has been lost recently while dancing on stage. This has become quite common in recent years more so after COVID. According to reports, the incidence is one in 100,000 dies of sudden cardiac death each year across the world." 

"The most common causes of sudden death are plaque rupture leading to heart attack, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias like Ventricular Fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, WPW syndrome, Long Q T syndrome and some congenital heart defects," Dr Dhall explained. 

Also read: Boost in the area of xenotransplantation as US man gets gene-edited pig kidney 

WION also spoke to Dr Brajesh Kumar Mishra, Consultant - Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Gurugram. Dr Mishra said, "Cardiac arrest in younger individuals often stems from structural abnormalities of the heart, such as Dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic or channelopathy. These conditions are common causes of premature sudden cardiac death, particularly in teenagers and young adults in their early twenties." 

"However, when assessing overall cardiac mortality or sudden cardiac death, the leading cause remains coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction with ventricular arrhythmia, Dr Mishra added. 

Why did this happen? 

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): A genetic condition causing thickened heart muscles, making it harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently, especially under stress. 

Channelopathies: Disorders affecting the electrical activity of the heart, leading to fatal arrhythmias. 

Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and weakened, increasing the risk of heart failure and arrhythmias.

Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS): A term used when a seemingly healthy person dies suddenly due to undiagnosed cardiac conditions.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Although more common in older adults, premature CAD due to genetic predisposition, congenital dyslipidemia, or early-onset atherosclerosis can also contribute. 

Also read: Study reveals octopuses may have oldest known sex chromosomes

Why is this happening more in young people? 

Dr Mishra explained that many young individuals with cardiomyopathies or channelopathies remain asymptomatic until a sudden cardiac event occurs. 

He said that increased work-related stress, sedentary habits, and poor diet contribute to early heart disease.

Rising obesity, diabetes, smoking, and genetic predispositions lead to early plaque buildup in arteries, he said, further adding that activities like dancing, high-intensity workouts, or sports can trigger arrhythmias in individuals with hidden heart conditions. 

Excessive consumption of caffeine, energy drinks, or drugs can cause dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities, Dr Mishra said. 

How to prevent such deaths? 

Dr Dhall explained ways to prevent such deaths. He said, "We advise screening procedures like ECG and Echocardiography in younger patients who are doing aggressive physical activities." 

"These simple tests can guide us on whether a person is at risk of sudden cardiac death and whether they require specialised tests further to substantiate the diagnosis," he added. 

Dr Dhall noted that they advise screening relatives of the patient who had sudden death as the disease runs in families and can prevent further deaths in the same family.

For patients who have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death, competitive sports and aggressive activities should be avoided, Dr Dhall said.