Amid Shefali Jariwala Death, Doctor Explains Risks Of Steroids, Hormonal Therapies
New Delhi:
The death of 'Kaanta Laga' fame Shefali Jariwala, who reportedly died due to a cardiac arrest last week, has once again put a spotlight on the rising cases of heart attacks in adults in India. The disturbing increase of cardiovascular diseases in even those people who keep themselves seemingly fit, is a cause of concern - and triggers a question: are fitness therapies and workouts enough?
Dr Dhirendra Singhania, Principal Consultant of Interventional Cardiology at Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals in Kaushambi, spoke exclusively to NDTV on the issue, saying the major causes of risk in heart attacks are: steroids, lack of sleep, and hormonal therapies (especially for women).
"Everyone, whether a celebrity or a common man, if they are not following the rules of the body, they will have problems. In celebrities, they all try to maintain their body for fit appearances. Many times, we don't know what they do to achieve that. Lack of sleep has been known as a cardiac risk factor - many celebrities are awake for almost the whole night at times," he said.
Dr Singhania added, "Steroids, drug overdoses, and hormonal therapies for women, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT for menopause) and oral contraceptives, can contribute to heart attack risk."
Additionally, the cardiologist said stress and social media addiction contribute to increased blood pressure and cortisol levels - which eventually lead to cardiovascular diseases.
Dr Singhania also showed a coronary angiography of a 36-year-old man who survived a heart attack recently. According to the cardiologist, the man did not have any history of smoking or drinking or underlying medical conditions, but still fell prey to the tragic disease.
Shefali Jariwala death
Actor-model Shefali Jariwala died on Friday night at the age of 42, with initial reports suggesting that she died of a cardiac arrest. However, the exact cause of her death is yet to be confirmed. The postmortem of the actor was conducted at Cooper Hospital in Mumbai and was recorded on video.
Police and forensic experts visited Ms Jariwala's residence, where they found glutathione (a drug often used for skin fairness and detoxification), Vitamin C injections, and acidity pills, hinting at risky, unsupervised anti-ageing treatments. However, Dr Singhania said long-term use of glutathione and Vitamin C in anti-aging therapies are not directly cardiotoxic, and does not contribute to cardiovascular stress.
"Anti-ageing therapies do not have serious side effects, but if she also took any hormonal therapy, that might have carried some side effects," he said.
The 'Kaanta Laga' fame was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 15.
"As far as epilepsy is concerned, it depends largely on the medications used, but generally they are not risky for heart attacks," Dr Singhania said.
Ms Jariwala shot to fame in 2002 with the remix music video 'Kaanta Laga'. She was also known for playing a brief role in the 2004 film 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi'. The actor also featured on reality TV shows 'Nach Baliye 5' and 'Nach Baliye 7' alongside her actor-husband Parag Tyagi. She was also seen as a contestant on the reality TV show Bigg Boss 13.
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