The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The young male heart is under attack. It's not just that Indian men lead the global list in under-40 heart attacks. In India 78 per cent of men between 30 and 34 run the risk of a heart attack. And their hearts are ageing faster than their real age. There are lot of young men with very advanced heart disease that you would typically find in elderly patients.

The 30s is when the body reaches its aerobic prime, endurance peaks and one can still laugh at botoxed faces. But what should be the best of times is becoming the worst of times for men. To begin with, men are hard-wired to suffer heart disease more than women. In 2010, UK scientists uncovered special Y chromosome genes, inherited from fathers that make men prone to heart attacks. Men also lack the hormonal protection of oestrogen that younger women get. But young masculine hearts in India seem to be particularly susceptible. Compared to 5.6 per cent heart attacks under 40 in the West, India records 12 per cent. “Indian hearts are different”

The cholesterol-related problems are among the common lifestyle-related complaints Indians have. It also showed more men had these complaints than women. It is well-established that cholesterol leads to heart disease.  However, there is still confusion about what are the normal cholesterol levels and the various types of cholesterol.

Indians have the highest rates of coronary artery disease (CAD), even though nearly half of them are vegetarians. By 2015, it is estimated that India will have 62 million patients with CAD. Of these, 23 million will be less than 40 years old. In the past 30 years, the average age of a first heart attack increased by more than 10 years in the US, but decreased by more than 10 years in India. Indians are generally five to 10 years younger than people from other countries by the time they get their first heart attack.

A study released in April by the World Congress of Cardiology in Dubai revealed that Indians are increasing their risk for heart diseases with poor physical activity, a high-fat diet and by steadily shunning fruits and vegetables. It also showed that Indians are born with thinner arteries and are at genetic risk for cardiac diseases. Called the Indian Heart Watch, the study spanned across 11 cities and covered 6,000 men and women. Around 79% of men and 83% of women who participated in the study were found to be physically inactive, while 51% men and 48% women had high-fat diets. 

“A person must take an average of 10,000 steps every day, but we range between 1,500 and 2,000. Our genetic predisposition being higher than the rest, lifestyle plays an important role in maintaining our cholesterol levels. Another important factor is people’s casual attitude to medication.

 “We are genetically three times more vulnerable to heart attacks compared to rest of the world. That escalates with smoking and poor lifestyle. "We are also the diabetes capital of the world. That makes matters worse."