9 July 2025 : Heart screening is crucial for people of all ages, including young adults, especially in India, as the country has seen a significant increase in heart disease cases among young adults, often due to lifestyle factors. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, cardiologists explain how heart screening can help identify potential issues early on, allowing for preventive measures, lifestyle changes and early treatment.
What causes heart disease in young people?
Dr Chirag D, consultant in interventional cardiology at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, said, “Heart health is no longer just for the middle-aged or older. Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant rise in lifestyle risk factors, including elevated stress, inactivity, poor sleep, bad diet, smoking, and high cholesterol, in individuals in their 20s and 30s. This change makes early heart tests not merely desirable but necessary.”
Dr Narasimha Pai, HOD and consultant cardiology, KMC Hospital, Dr B R Ambedkar Circle, Mangalore added, “Rising heart issues in youngsters are the major talk of the town these days. Sportspersons, film stars, and other famous people who are deemed very fit in the public’s opinion suddenly end up in the emergency department of hospitals with heart issues. This has started intriguing a lot of people about why heart issues are plaguing the youngsters of this nation. The amount of automation, machinery, and a fast-tracking lifestyle is a major factor in the development of heart problems in youngsters.”
Dr Pai shared that today’s youth, not just in metro cities but also in lower-tier cities, are ‘involved in various habits and addictions like smoking and alcohol, which makes them highly vulnerable to heart problems’. “Earlier, coronary artery disease used to be a disease of the elderly, where due to prolonged progressive deposition of fat in the vessels would lead to blockage of arteries, leading to a heart attack. Now, people in the age group of 30 to 45 years are themselves getting such diseases, which indicates that there’s a paradigm shift in the population vulnerable to heart attacks,” he said.
Summary:
Doctors urge Indians as young as 25 to undergo heart checkups due to rising early-age heart disease linked to stress, poor lifestyle, and genetic risks.