Heart disease in the young is a common occurrence now with the fast-changing lifestyles and the stressors that come with it.
Almost 10 to 20 per cent patients experiencing a heart attack may be less than 40, with data suggesting that Indians have heart attacks a decade earlier than the western population.
For a person having a heart attack in 30s, it is not just a medical issue; it affects all aspects of life, reshaping every decision, and even relationships and future plans. For many, the heart recovers well with treatment, but the mind continues to replay the ‘what if?’
Before and after
At 27, a Delhi Police officer —fit, active and tough — suddenly felt a crushing heaviness in his chest while on duty, a pain crawling into his arm and jaw that he first tried to ignore as fatigue or acidity. Tests later showed a heart attack and a blocked coronary artery; within hours, he had to undergo angioplasty. Soon, he was physically okay but emotionally stunned — at an age when friends were getting married, he was staring at a future that had ‘lifelong medicines’, ‘follow-up’, and ‘risk of future events’.
The new ‘ordinary’
Over the next few months, his routine changed. He was seemingly doing well with regular follow-ups, medicines on time, blood pressure under control, walking daily, avoiding smoking and being careful with diet. Mentally, however, even a twinge of chest discomfort or unusual tiredness, triggered his fears of a repeat episode even when doctors reassured him that his heart was stable.
The heart attack changed his life in more ways than one. Daunted by the thought of a future occurrence, he decided not to get married — he did not want his partner to carry the burden of emotional and financial stress. Ostensibly, he looked fine; inside, there was a constant fear of mortality.
In another case, a 38-year-old father, while playing with his child, felt a tightness across the chest, accompanied by nausea and back discomfort. As these were not typical heart attack symptoms, the family did not rush him to the hospital. Hours later, tests confirmed a significant heart attack with reduced pumping function. His heart recovered only partially.
His physical recovery was gradual but he had anxiety and uncertainty about everything. Even a feeling of breathlessness caused panic about the possibility of another attack. Medications, diet, sugar, oil, salt restriction, follow-up echocardiograms and lifestyle changes became part of his daily routine. But he became over-conscious about financial planning, health, term insurance, etc. Even the family’s routine became centred around the possibility that his health might suddenly turn against him.
Despite the fears and anxiety, both cases show that a near-normal life after a heart attack in 30s is possible and achievable. Many young survivors have returned to demanding jobs, actively taking care of family responsibilities, including old parents and young children. They are staying physically active with structured exercise programmes, appropriate medication, regular monitoring and eating healthy. Experts say that long-term medicines — antiplatelets, statins, blood-pressure or sugar-control drugs, sometimes beta-blockers — are not a sign of having or living a diseased life but these are a shield that reduces the risk of any future event.
Cardiac rehabilitation and psychological support can be transformative, especially for younger patients who often struggle more with anxiety, depression and identity issues than older people. Counselling helps separate rational caution from paralysing fear and allows patients to gradually reclaim experiences they sometimes start avoiding — travel, intimacy, social events, or taking on new responsibilities. Support groups and meeting other young survivors often provide a powerful reassurance: “It is not just me, and it is possible to live fully with this.”
Learning to live with risk, not under it
For the 27-year-old cop, the journey is about accepting that risk will never be zero, yet life does not have to stop. Over time, choices like marriage, career moves or relocation can be revisited with better information, emotional support and a clearer understanding of actual versus perceived risk. For the 38-year-old father, living with a heart attack history means planning everything but also living more intentionally — valuing time with children, saying no to excessive stress, and treating every follow-up visit as an investment in future rather than as a reminder of a past failure.
Living with a heart attack in the 30s is ultimately about moving from “Why did this happen to me?” to “How do I protect the life I still have?” The heart may carry a scar, but with structured medical care, disciplined habits and emotional support, that scar can become a reminder of survival, not a sentence of constant fear.
— The writer is Senior Director, Cardiology, Max Healthcare, New Delhi
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
Lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, quitting tobacco/smoking, moderating alcohol intake, prioritising sleep, managing weight and walking or moderate exercise at least 5 days a week can help live you a healthy life despite a heart attack at a young age.
Factcheck: Studies show a significant rise in heart attacks among young Indians, with up to 25-40% of patients under 40, with a significant burden on those in their 30s. Indians experience Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) a decade earlier than other ethnic groups, with 50% of CAD deaths occurring under 50. It is driven by lifestyle factors like processed food, sedentary habits, smoking, high stress levels, genetics, and post-COVID effects, with males being more affected and requiring urgent awareness and preventive check-ups.