As common as diabetes at age 35, heart attacks at age 60 are now. Heart disease is quickly overtaking other causes of mortality worldwide as a result of bad lifestyle choices including smoking, improper eating, and sedentary behavior. A role for hereditary heart disease predisposition may also be played.
Heart disease is more prevalent in middle-aged individuals, despite being often associated with older people. In reality, new research has shown that individuals in their 40s and 50s are more susceptible to developing heart disease, especially if they also have other risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
“We have been witnessing a disturbing trend in the increased prevalence of heart attacks among Indians at the age of 60. A number of variables, including a high incidence of risk factors, a sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, hereditary factors, and a lack of knowledge, contribute to this. According to Dr. Vishal Khullar, Director, CTVS and Heart and Lung Transplant, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Indians have a high prevalence of risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels, which can contribute to the development of heart disease and increase the risk of heart attacks.
Many Indians are living sedentary lifestyles and eating unhealthily as a result of rising urbanization and modernity. Moreover, certain Indians may have a hereditary susceptibility to heart disease.
The elderly and aging population are more susceptible to cardiovascular illness, according to Dr. Abhijit Khadtare, a cardiologist at Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune.
Individuals’ ages are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), while additional variables including frailty, obesity, and diabetes augment these chances. It is well recognized that these variables might aggravate and intensify cardiac risk factors related to aging. A general decrease in sex hormones, notably oestrogen and testosterone, is associated with age-related increases in CVD risks.
Hormone replacement therapy, despite this, has been shown to not generally improve patient outcomes in older patients and may even increase the likelihood of cardiac events in the elderly. Given that older women are said to be at a higher risk for CVD than age-matched men, this is a potential risk factor in ageing adults.
The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) rises for older people as a result of the loss in cardiovascular health caused by aging. Dr. Khadtare continues, “Among the CVDs whose prevalence has been found to grow with increasing age in both men and women are atherosclerosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction.
The incidence of CVD in US men and women is 40% from 40 to 59 years old, 75% from 60 to 79 years old, and 86% in those who are 80 or older, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In order to better understand the elements that must be taken into account when creating future therapies for the aging population, this article will concentrate on gender disparities in CVD in older persons and the current knowledge of how age influences the incidence and progression of CVD. A diabetes diagnosis might occur between the ages of 30 and 50. Heart-related issues are more likely when diabetes is discovered early.
A patient who gets type 2 diabetes at a younger age has a larger lifetime risk due to the projected period of exposure to elevated glucose levels and other risk factors. Dr. Khadtare believes that younger individuals could also possess a physiological feature that predisposes them to the damage brought on by high blood sugar levels and other risk factors, whether or not it is hereditary. “Diabetes increases your risk of developing heart disease. Moreover, diabetes increases the likelihood of having heart attack risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a stroke. Your blood vessels and the nerves that control them may be harmed by diabetes’ high blood glucose levels, the doctor continues. This insult may eventually cause heart disease. Heart disease often strikes diabetics earlier than healthy individuals. Diabetics have a nearly two-fold increased risk of heart disease or stroke.
“This trend is being fueled by a lack of education and preventative steps to lower the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. For individualized guidance on lowering the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, people must speak with healthcare specialists, concludes Dr. Khullar.
A heart attack may have serious aftereffects, including permanent harm or even death. As a result, it’s essential to take preventive steps like controlling chronic illnesses like diabetes or high blood pressure and keeping a nutritious diet and frequent physical exercise. Regular health checks may help identify and control risk factors early on, before they develop into a heart attack.
Therefore, it’s crucial to give your heart health top priority and avoid heart disease by being proactive, especially as you become older.
