1 week ago
Why Young Adults Should Check Heart Health Before 25
Heart problems can start developing long before a person feels sick.
That is why doctors say young adults should learn about their heart risks early.
A basic check can measure blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and waist size.
Doctors may also ask about family history, sleep, exercise, diet and stress.
These checks usually do not require complicated scans.
Extra tests may be needed if someone has symptoms, a strong family history or several risk factors.
Being overweight, sitting too much and sleeping poorly can raise future risk.
Knowing these numbers early gives people time to make healthier changes.
The goal is to prevent heart disease rather than wait for symptoms.
A pre-25 heart check aims to identify future cardiovascular risks, not established disease.
Basic screening can include family history, blood pressure, body mass index, waist size, blood sugar and cholesterol.
Sedentary habits, obesity, stress, poor sleep and unhealthy diets are increasing risks among younger adults.
Advanced tests such as ECGs, echocardiograms and CT scans are generally reserved for people with symptoms or multiple risk factors.
Apollo Hospitals data found that two-thirds of young adults had at least one non-communicable disease risk factor.
- Who
- Young adults and doctors, including cardiologist Dr Vithal D Bagi of Apollo Hospitals.
- What
- Doctors recommend a basic cardiovascular risk assessment before age 25 for many young adults.
- Where
- The guidance comes from Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru, with supporting research from Apollo Hospitals in Visakhapatnam.
- When
- Before age 25, with risks developing during young adulthood.
- Why
- To identify silent risk factors early and support prevention before cardiovascular disease develops.
Key facts
- Recommended assessment
- Family history, blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, blood sugar and lipid profile.
- Major lifestyle risks
- Sedentary habits, obesity, chronic stress, poor sleep and unhealthy diets.
- Apollo preventive data
- Only 7 percent of Indians were disease-free by age 40 in the Health of the Nation 2026 report, based on more than three million preventive assessments.
- Weight-related risk
- Four out of five high-risk individuals in an analysis of more than 373,000 cardiac risk assessments had excess weight as a major contributing factor.
- Young-adult risk factors
- Two out of three young adults had at least one non-communicable disease risk factor, according to Apollo Hospitals.
- Coronary calcium study
- Nearly 31 percent of asymptomatic adults below 45 had coronary artery calcium deposits in a study at Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam.
- Advanced testing
- ECGs, echocardiograms and CT scans are recommended only when symptoms, strong family history or multiple risk factors are present.
Quotes
Dr Vithal D Bagi
Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru
“A heart health MOT does not mean that every 25‑year‑old needs an ECG, echocardiogram or CT scan, these are recommended only when there are symptoms, strong family history or multiple risk factors.”
firstpost.com
“A heart health MOT before 25 is not about looking for established disease, it is about identifying early risk factors and establishing a baseline so problems can be prevented later.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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