Why People Over 25 Should Test For Heart Diseases: A Cardiologist's PSA

Video Producer/Editor: Garima Sadhwani

"Everyone above the age of 25-30 years should get tested for heart diseases regularly."

Dr Saritha Sekhar

Earlier this year, a report by the World Heart Federation showed that deaths from cardiovascular diseases have increased by 60 percent globally over the last 30 years.

The numbers went from 12.1 million in the year 1990 to 20.5 million in the year 2021. In India, as of 2017, nearly 27 percent of all deaths that happen are due to cardiovascular diseases.

The concerning factor with these increasing cases is that more and more youngsters are now suffering from cardiac diseases too.

So how does one get to know if they are at risk of a heart attack? Or if they have poor heart health? Or if they should be getting tested or screened?

Ahead of World Heart Day on 29 September, FIT reached out to a cardiologist to understand who should be getting tested for heart diseases.

Early Detection & Prevention Necessary

Dr Saritha Sekhar, Associate Professor and Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, tells FIT that proper and regular medical check ups can help detect if a person is at risk of developing any heart diseases.

This is why she points that everyone over 25-30 years of age should get screened at least once every year.

Dr Sekhar says, annual screenings can help detect:

• the most common cause of sudden deaths – coronary artery disease.

• rare diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

• any electrical abnormalities in the heart.

Early detection of heart diseases or risk factors can help patients take preventive measures and seek treatment before it becomes severe.

Dr Sekhar also mentions that it's advisable for people who do strenuous exercise and high-intensity workouts to consult a doctor beforehand. But, people who do not have evident risk factors or a sedentary lifestyle should get screened annually or bi-annually too.