KARACHI: Nearly half of Pakistan’s heart attack patients are under the age of 49, with up to 15% younger than 40, cardiologists at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) said on Saturday, warning of a sharp rise in early-age cases linked to diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and unhealthy lifestyles.
NICVD’s Director of Cath Lab, Dr Abdul Hakeem, said Pakistan had “the highest rate of young heart attack patients globally.”
“Every third adult has diabetes, 40% have high blood pressure, obesity is common, and smoking rates remain high,” he said. “Many people don’t know they’re at risk because, in our culture, loose clothing hides weight gain. After the age of 30, everyone should get a cardiac check-up.”
Hakeem said nine in ten patients in NICVD’s data reported no severe chest pain, only heaviness or acidity-like discomfort, symptoms that can delay treatment.
“If you feel chest heaviness while walking or climbing stairs, get an ECG immediately,” he said. “The most dangerous anterior heart attack can damage up to 60% of the heart muscle and often causes a clot within four to eight weeks, increasing the risk of stroke.”
