Heart Attacks At Young Age: Prevention Is Everything

The rate of heart attacks in those under the age of 40 years has been increasing at an alarming rate. In India, one person dies of a heart attack every 30 seconds and approximately 25% of all heart attacks in India are now in people under 40. 

What causes heart attacks at a young age?

One of the biggest reasons for this is the increasing incidence of Type 2 Diabetes brought on by:

• Poor dietary choices

• Being overweight or obese

• Sedentary lifestyle with decreased physical activity

In an analysis done by Suburban Diagnostics over the past 5 years on 1.9+ lakh people under the age of 40 who had come for regular health checkups, we found that:

Among men,

• 29.4% had high total cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl)

• 41.9% had high triglycerides (>150 mg/dl)

• 72.9% had high LDL (bad cholesterol) levels (>100 mg/dl)

• 96.9% had low HDL (good cholesterol) levels (<60 mg/dl)

Among women,

• 18.9% had high total cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl)

• 21.0% had high triglycerides (>150 mg/dl)

• 60.3% had high LDL (bad cholesterol) levels (>100 mg/dl)

• 87.1% had low HDL (good cholesterol) levels (<60 mg/dl)

Conventional wisdom states that we should be in our peak health when under the age of 40. It is, therefore, very concerning that so many people have such abnormal lipid values at such a young age.

Prevention will play a major role if we want to put a stop to this.

How early is early enough?

Bad lifestyle habits start early in our childhood now. Prevention and regular health check-ups starting at a tender age, contrary to the general belief, are crucial to prevent the progression of risk factors for heart attacks.

This would entail:

· Better lifestyle habits: such as exercising, eating nutritious food, not smoking, managing stress,

· Regular health check-ups: for early detection & prevention of preventable risk factors. Some of the tests might include factors for blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity & metabolic syndrome. Getting annual health check-ups with these factors will indicate any developing or developed conditions, enabling proactive prevention and treatment.

- If a heart condition is detected: Health check-ups as prescribed by the consulting doctor.

· Education & awareness: about what behaviors & factors that put one at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

· Know your genetic risk: Indians are more predisposed to having cardiac disorders due to our genes. You have a higher genetic risk of heart disease if you have a first-degree male relative (like your father or brother) under the age of 55 with a history of heart attack/stroke, or a first-degree female relative (like your mother or sister) under the age of 65 with a history of heart attack/stroke. If you do, it's critical to be proactive regarding your health and consult a cardiologist early.

· Setting a good example: We need to set a good example for our children, considering the alarming rise in childhood obesity.

Suburban Diagnostics offers a wide range health check-up packages that are tailored according to your gender and age group. Take control of your health today and make your health a priority!