Neurosurgeon Dr Chandrashekhar Pakhmode Dies of Sudden Heart Attack Despite Clean ECG: Hidden Cardiac Risks You Must Know

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well-known neurosurgeon from Nagpur died of a severe, sudden heart attack in the early hours of December 31, at just 53, despite having a healthy lifestyle and a clean heart scan. According to news reports, Dr. Chandrashekhar Pakhmode was a fitness enthusiast who regularly underwent check-ups, with the latest one showing a clean electrocardiogram report, or ECG. Experts believe Dr Pakhmode’s case has raised questions as to what risk factors of a heart attack most people miss while ticking off the checklist for regular markers like blood sugar and cholesterol. Dr Pakhmode’s family said he collapsed at 6 am earlier this week and, despite being rushed to the hospital in time and intense revival efforts, could not make it.

What is a sudden heart attack?

According to experts, a sudden heart attack happens when your heart stops beating or pumps so fast that it stalls. During a heart attack, most people collapse and become unresponsive as the symptoms begin to show without any warning. Doctors say this life-threatening condition can become fatal if you do not get immediate treatment. During cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, when your heart stops pumping blood, within minutes, it puts your organs and whole body at risk of death because they must constantly receive oxygen. Your blood delivers that oxygen.

What can cause a sudden heart attack?

Doctors say that while there are many reasons you may suffer a heart attack, if your reports of blood pressure and cholesterol are clean, it can primarily be because of stress, long working hours, less sleep, and burnout. Even though these may seem normal, experts believe that over time, all of these situations can put a lot of pressure on your heart, which one day stops working. Also, if there is a heart blockage in the left main artery, or the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery, a major vessel supplying the front of the heart, then that becomes extremely dangerous due to the large amount of muscle affected, often leading to significant damage or death.

Can stress be a significant factor in a heart attack?

Stress and burnout, according to experts, are major factors in heart attacks, as they act as a major trigger for events in predisposed individuals and contribute to risk through inflammation, blood clot formation, and unhealthy coping behaviours like poor diet or smoking, ultimately raising blood pressure and heart rate. Both sudden, intense, and chronic stress, along with burnout, increase the likelihood of plaque rupture and blockages, making stress management crucial for heart health. According to experts, the damaged artery walls allow “bad” or LDL cholesterol to enter and get trapped, leading to faster development of plaques and blockages. Also, stress pushes up the “fight or flight” hormone, like adrenaline, which increases mental and physical alertness during stressful situations. It causes the heart to beat faster and raises blood pressure. The stress hormone cortisol also increases blood pressure, along with blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides – all of which are deadly for your cardiovascular health.

How does ECG miss a buildup of plaque?

An ECG can look normal in the early stages of a heart attack and may fail to capture abnormal electrical signals. Those who have diabetes mostly experience silent or mild symptoms with little ECG change. Doctors say heart attack–like symptoms can also occur in unstable angina, where blood flow is severely reduced without muscle damage, which ECGs often miss, making troponin blood tests crucial for detection.