Men’s heart disease risk starts earlier than you think

New Delhi: Most men in their thirties do not consider heart disease to be a real threat. New research suggests that may be when it begins.A large, long-term study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that by their 30s, men’s risk of heart disease begins to rise faster than that of women, years before any warning signs appear. Researchers followed more than 5,000 adults for more than three decades and found a clear difference around age 35, with the risk rising more quickly for men thereafter and remaining higher through midlife.The incidence of cardiovascular disease in men reaches 5% about 7 years earlier than in women. The disparity is even greater for coronary heart disease, whose risk emerged more than a decade ago, suggesting early damage to blood vessels. Notably, this difference persisted even after factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity and physical activity were taken into account.Experts say this reflects growing concerns in India. Dr Anbuji Roy, professor of cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said heart disease can no longer be considered a disease of middle age. “Risk factors now appear as early as the 30s, and since Indians develop cardiovascular disease earlier, screening for diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia must start earlier,” he said.Experts also warn that findings based on Western cohorts may underestimate the risk in the Indian population. Dr. Mohit Gupta of the Govind Balabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research said cardiovascular risks tend to appear earlier in South Asians. While men tend to develop coronary heart disease earlier, women’s risk increases dramatically after menopause and is often overlooked. “The key message is not about men versus women, it’s about missed prevention,” he said, calling for screening and risk awareness to begin in the thirties or earlier.Current screening guidelines generally focus on people aged 40 years and older.For women, the picture is different – the risk is lower in early adulthood, then rises sharply after menopause, with the gap narrowing over time.