World Heart Day: Rising Heart Disease Among Youth Growing Concern, Say Cardiologists

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Cardiologists raised alarms about the increasing number of heart-related issues among youth, attributing the trend to unhealthy lifestyle choices.

On the eve of World Heart Day, city cardiologists highlighted that 35 per cent of heart surgery patients in hospitals are between the ages of 30 and 45, marking a significant concern.

Factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and stress, lack of exercise, poor sleep, and obesity have been cited as major contributors to the rise in heart attacks at a younger age.

‘Smokers are three times more likely to experience heart attacks, while 90% of diabetic patients are also at risk for heart disease,’ Dr Nitin Modi said. He urged regular ECG and treadmill tests (TMT) to monitor heart health and stressed the importance of daily physical exercise to prevent heart conditions.

Cardiologist Dr Rakesh Jain added that repeated heating of cooking oil can also damage heart health, while Dr Sarita Rao pointed out that routine tests such as ECG, X-rays, echocardiograms and treadmill tests are essential for early detection of heart disease.

Rise in vascular surgeries

The records of Super Speciality Hospital showed that between April 2023 and September 2024, more than 300 cardiac surgeries have been conducted at the hospital. These include 220 coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) and 50 valve replacements.

Dr Sumit Pratap Singh, head of cardio-thoracic vascular surgery, emphasised the use of cutting-edge technology in these treatments, while also calling for lifestyle changes to combat the rising tide of heart disease.

Vascular surgeries have also seen a sharp rise, with over 800 procedures performed between October 2022 and September 2024. This includes complex surgeries like AV fistulas and aortic bypasses. Additionally, more than 300 lung surgeries have been conducted during the same period.