He Walks Every Day. She Eats Healthy. What Else Should You Know About Your Parents’ Hearts?

A lot of us carry a fairly settled picture of what makes a parent’s heart “fine”: they walk regularly, they’ve never smoked, they mostly eat home food, and nothing hurts. On paper, that’s a genuinely good place to be.

It’s also an incomplete picture, according to cardiologists, and the gap between “seems fine” and “actually fine” is where most of the useful, low-effort action lives. 

This World Heart Day — observed globally on 29 September under the World Heart Federation’s theme, “Use Heart for Action” — is a good, low-stakes moment to close that gap for a parent, before it needs closing in a hurry.

Here are a few common beliefs worth updating, and what to do instead.

Myth: A heart problem always announces itself with chest pain

Chest-clutching scene is the version we’ve absorbed from television, but it isn’t the only way, or even the most common way, heart trouble shows up. 

Researchers estimate that close to half of all heart attacks present with milder, easy-to-miss signs instead — fatigue, breathlessness while just sitting or talking, an unfamiliar heaviness, or discomfort that gets waved off as gas or a strained muscle, especially in older adults, women and people with diabetes.

Chennai-based cardiologist Dr Tareen, who has treated patients presenting after exertion-related symptoms were dismissed for weeks, says it’s specifically these subtler cues families tend to miss: indigestion, pain in the left arm or jaw, or chest discomfort or heaviness in the chest, or shortness of breath when exercising or engaged in a sport are all reasons to see a cardiologist, not wait it out.

“This isn’t a reason to panic over every tired evening; most tired evenings are exactly that. It’s a reason to mention a lingering or repeated version of these symptoms to a doctor rather than an antacid, so it can be ruled out quickly instead of being explained away for weeks,” he explains.

Myth: This is mainly a concern for later in old age

For a long time, that was broadly true. Doctors now say the age at which heart issues typically show up in India has shifted earlier. 

Dr Tareen has pointed out that India tops the world in heart attacks among men over 35, a shift reflected in how early doctors now recommend a first proper check-up. 

He has long advised that men past 30 and women past 40, particularly with any family history of heart disease, get a comprehensive cardiac check done covering blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, rather than waiting for a milestone birthday or retirement to think about it.

“Practically, this just means that if a parent is in their late 50s, 60s or 70s, a basic heart check-up isn’t something to defer for “a few more years.” It’s simply due now, the same way an annual eye test or dental check-up would be,” he says.

Myth: An active, healthy-eating parent doesn’t need to be screened

Fitness and a good diet genuinely lower risk, and that effort is worth keeping up and encouraging. But they work alongside screening, not instead of it. 

Dr Tareen has treated marathon-runners and club-level athletes with undiagnosed heart conditions, and his advice extends well beyond professional sport: everyone, including athletes and cricketers, should have regular check-ups and have electrocardiography, stress tests, echocardiograms and lipid profiles done, apart from following a healthy lifestyle.

“Things like blood pressure and cholesterol don’t always come with symptoms, which is exactly why a basic check tells you something a parent’s energy levels or appetite can’t,” Dr Tareen tells The Better India.

Myth: If nothing feels wrong today, there’s nothing to plan for

Heart health tends to build up gradually, through numbers like blood pressure and cholesterol, well before anything is felt day-to-day. That’s less a warning and more a nudge: a check-up works best as routine maintenance, not a response to a symptom.

A few easy, non-alarming things to actually do this week

• If it’s been over a year, book a basic check-up: blood pressure, blood sugar, a lipid profile

• Ask your parent directly, casually, whether they’ve noticed any breathlessness or unusual tiredness lately — many won’t bring it up unprompted, simply out of habit

• Check in on whether they’ve kept up their walk or activity, and if it’s tapered off, ask why, gently

• Mention any family history of heart disease to their doctor directly, rather than assuming it’s already on record

• If your parent lives alone, factor that into how often you check in, since company and routine both help

• Take a look at what their health insurance actually covers, just so it’s a known quantity rather than a surprise

None of this requires urgency or worry. It requires a bit of attention, some questions asked out loud instead of assumed, and treating “’ he’s fine’, ‘she’s just getting older’” as worth a quick check rather than a full stop.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com