Guard your heart – Children post ten should start heart check up to avoid heart attacks in future
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Heart attacks are striking younger people in India these days, with cases popping up in folks in their 20s—something doctors used to see mostly after age 40. That’s the warning from Dr. Ashok Seth, chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi, who shared his insights in an interview.
Dr. Seth points out that heart disease is hitting people earlier than ever. “Even a 20-year-old or 25-year-old could be dealing with it,” he says. The key? Don’t brush off chest pain. Head to a doctor right away, and a quick test can tell if it’s heart-related or something else.
So, how do you spot heart pain versus regular discomfort? Dr. Seth explains it’s often the kind that flares up when you’re walking or active, spreads down your arm, and eases when you stop and rest. Or it could be intense, like a crushing weight on your chest, paired with sweating, nausea, or that gut-wrenching feeling of doom—classic signs of a heart attack.
People often mix it up with acidity or gas, especially after a heavy meal. “If antacids don’t help within half an hour, treat it as a potential heart issue and get checked,” he urges. Dr. Seth shares stories of patients who ignored symptoms, thinking it was just indigestion from chickpeas or beans. They popped antacids, felt a bit better, and waited days—only to learn later they’d had a heart attack. “Don’t ignore it; it could be serious,” he warns.
If heart disease runs in your family, start checkups young. Watch for parents or siblings who had heart attacks, sudden cardiac arrest, or unexpected deaths early in life. Also, if mom or dad has both diabetes and high blood pressure, get proactive. Dr. Seth recommends cholesterol tests as early as age 10 to catch risks. By 20, everyone should do blood pressure checks, an echocardiogram, and more.
In fact, he pushes for a basic cardiac checkup for all young adults in India by age 20. “Five simple, affordable tests—a BP check, blood sugar test, cholesterol screening, echocardiogram, and ECG—can reveal your personal risk factors,” he says. Spotting congenital heart issues early can prevent sudden problems like cardiac arrest later on. Prevention starts with knowing your risks, and lifestyle tweaks can make a big difference.
COVID-19 has made things worse for heart health too. “It wasn’t just a lung problem,” Dr. Seth notes. The virus triggered heart attacks, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), and weakened heart muscles (cardiomyopathy). It doubled the heart attack risk through blood clots and artery inflammation. Studies from the West show that severe COVID survivors face higher risks for up to three years. So, if you’ve had COVID, keep an eye on your heart.
One easy fix? Cut back on salt. Indians consume four times the recommended daily amount—12 grams instead of three. Blame it on salty snacks like samosas, kachoris, namkeens, and pickles. “Reducing salt could lower blood pressure by 10 to 20 points and slash cardiovascular risk by 10 to 20 percent,” Dr. Seth says. As a nation, it’s time to dial down the salt for better heart health.
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