Importance of regular heart checkups - key to early detection

Indians have a high prevalence of ischaemic heart disease which presents a decade earlier compared to Western counterparts. The main reason is the high clustering of risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, bad cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, and stress. The first presentation of ischaemic heart disease is often acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death, with up to 7 percent of cases being fatal. Early identification and management of risk factors, along with early detection of the disease, are crucial for prevention.