For somepeoplethetheir heart ticking like a time bomb...

Mumbai, Sept 26: Ten years ago, men who were detected with heart disease, were predominantly in their fifties and sixties. But today 30% to 40% of my patients are below 40, said a cardiologist.

Twenty-six-year-old Raghunath Kumar was in the pink of health. At least, that is what he had always assumed till he suffered a heart attack last week.

“An angiogram revealed that there were severe blockages in his artery,” said cardiac surgeon Dr Arun Mehra, head of department of cardiac surgery, Jaslok Hospital. Kumar, who is recuperating now, will have to get ready to make huge lifestyle changes, said Dr Mehra. Number one on his priority list will be to quit smoking. Losing weight comes a close second.

Cardiologists are no longer surprised to see heart attacks in men below the age of 30. Kumar, for instance, was the second patient under the age of 30 that Dr Mehra saw in the last fortnight. “A 29-year-old diabetic with a family history of heart disease was rushed to the hospital after a heart attack,” said Dr Mehra.

“Earlier, doctors used to advise men to undergo a complete heart check-up once they were on the other side of 30. But now I advice men to undergo a complete pre-employment heart check in their early twenties,” said Dr Mehra.

“Ten years ago, men who were detected with heart disease were predominantly in their fifties and sixties. But today 30% to 40% of my patients are below 40,” said Dr Tilak Suvarna, consultant cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute.

“There are so many apparently healthy-looking active young men walking around with a ticking time bomb for a heart,” said Dr Suvarna, who is currently treating a 38-year-old businessman who suffered a heart attack.

This year’s theme for World Heart Day, which will be celebrated on September 28, is ‘Know your risk’, said Dr Suvarna.

There are simple things that you can do to prevent heart disease. “Check your blood pressure and cholesterol periodically. Exercise regularly and keep your weight under control. Be vigilant if you have a family member who is a heart patient. And if you are a smoker, quit immediately,” said the cardiologist