Does heart disease occur in old age? Is this not the problem of youth? Such questions arise in the minds of many people.
Often youth of 20-30 years think that they are not in danger. But in the last few years, cases of heart attack have been seen increasing among youth and middle-aged people.
Reasons like high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, lack of sleep, constant mental stress and less physical activity can be responsible for heart attack.
If these problems become a part of life at an early age, they can become the cause of many diseases in the future. Also, this risk can increase in the body even without any obvious symptoms.
Experts say that it is important to pay attention in advance to the causes of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, regular testing of blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar is important to quickly identify factors that increase the risk of heart disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death worldwide.
Due to changes in our lifestyle, cases of heart attack are also increasing. On the occasion of World Heart Day, let us know which people need a heart check-up before the age of 40. Which tests are really useful and which symptoms should not be ignored.
Not every youth without any symptoms and at risk of specific heart disease needs to undergo ECG or echocardiography regularly. If there is chest pain, rapid heartbeat, fainting, shortness of breath or the doctor sees any suspicious symptoms during the examination, then these tests may be needed.
According to experts, for most healthy people aged 30-40 years, basic tests like regular blood pressure test, blood sugar test and lipid profile may be more useful.
America's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that cholesterol testing is important to understand the risk of heart attack. However, if the risk is high, tests like HB1Ac, Lipoprotein (A) i.e. LPA and in some cases APOB can also be considered.
Dr. Laxman Gaikwad has told BBC Marathi about this in detail. He is an interventional cardiologist at AIIMS Hospital, Dombivali. He said, "Problems like work stress, lack of exercise, increasing weight, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol and blood sugar are now becoming visible at an early age. Many times there are no symptoms in the beginning. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to heart health from an early age."
Symptoms of heart disease can appear at an early age due to high blood pressure, increase in LDL cholesterol, diabetes or insulin resistance, obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity at the age of 20 to 30 years. Along with this, unbalanced diet, not getting enough sleep and prolonged stress can also be responsible for poor heart health at a young age.
According to Dr. Gaikwad, checking blood pressure should be a part of the regular health checkup of every adult person. Cholesterol testing can also be started in adult age.
Dr. Laxman Gaikwad says, "If a person's parents or any other family member has had heart disease or heart attack at a young age, then that person may also be at higher risk. If there is heaviness or pain in the chest even before the age of 40, especially if the pain spreads to the arms, shoulders, back, neck or jaw, then it should not be ignored.
Dr. Vaibhav Dedhia, consultant cardiologist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, says, “When assessing cholesterol, it is important to know what its level is and for how long it has been high. "If even a small increase in LDL cholesterol persists for many years, it is important to pay attention."
According to Dr. Vaibhav Dedhia, trying to prevent heart disease is a long-term and continuous process. The habits formed in the age of 20 and 30 and the risks arising from them can have an impact for the next several decades.
Regarding exercise, he said, "Doing 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-paced aerobic exercise every week is a good goal. Along with this, it is also important to do strength training at least twice a week.
To keep your heart healthy, know your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, do not smoke, exercise regularly, keep your weight within a healthy range and eat a balanced diet.
