World Heart Day 2025: A call to action for proactive heart health
On World Heart Day 2025, Apollo Hospitals urges every Indian to not miss a beat and adopt heart-healthy habits as a daily discipline. Despite advances in medicine, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death, yet many lives can be saved through timely detection, treatment, and lifestyle changes. The theme Don’t Miss a Beat reinforces prevention-first care, closing care gaps, and ensuring timely screening across ages.
Key findings from Apollo’s Health of the Nation 2025
The Health of the Nation 2025 study highlights silent risks that are widespread and often undetected. Artery calcification, fatty liver, and sleep apnea can be present even in people with no symptoms. Post-menopausal women face higher cardiovascular risk and require tailored screening. Deficiencies in vitamin D and B12, along with anemia, can sap energy and make sustained exercise harder. Alarmingly, inactivity among teenagers is linked to poorer flexibility, strength, and balance before age 25, setting the stage for future heart disease.
Why screening matters
These findings underscore the need for proactive assessment, not waiting for symptoms. Regular checks for blood pressure, blood sugar, lipid levels, and micronutrient status are essential components of true prevention.
Regional fingerprints across Apollo’s network
Across major Indian cities, the study reveals a nuanced map of risk that calls for region-specific prevention strategies:
Delhi-NCR
Hypertension prevalence is rising, with fatty liver detected in 65% of those screened, signaling metabolic and vascular risk beyond blood pressure alone.
Mumbai
46% of asymptomatic individuals had coronary calcium; 25% already had obstructive CAD, and 2.5% were under 40, illustrating that risk begins early and can be hidden from routine checks.
Chennai
Diabetes was present in 29% and 37% were pre-diabetic, underscoring the need for early lifestyle interventions and comprehensive risk assessment.
Bengaluru
Early-age hypertension and dyslipidemia are driven by sedentary indoor work hours, highlighting the urgency of workplace wellness and daily movement.
Hyderabad
Over 80% of fatty liver cases were among diabetics, and three-fourths of hypertensives had fatty liver, underlining the heart-liver connection in risk management.
Kolkata
Hypertension and diabetes often co-exist with hidden anemia and micronutrient deficiencies, affecting energy and recovery.
Lucknow
Risk begins early, with 28% of college students overweight and 19% pre-hypertensive, calling for early education and healthy routines.
Apollo’s legacy and commitment to every heartbeat
As India’s pioneer in comprehensive cardiac care since 1983, Apollo Hospitals has performed more than 3 lakh heart surgeries with a 99.6% success rate, completed over 500 robotic cardiac procedures, and delivered 500+ TAVI interventions with a team of more than 375 cardiologists. This track record reinforces the message: waiting for symptoms delays life-saving care. Prevention, backed by data-led risk assessment and precise treatment, can add millions of healthy years to Indian families.
What you can do today
Make prevention a daily habit. Start with simple steps: monitor blood pressure and other key numbers; aim for regular physical activity; prioritize quality sleep; follow a balanced diet rich in heart-healthy fats, fiber, fruits and vegetables; avoid tobacco; and seek timely medical advice for risk assessment and tailored screening. Special attention should be given to post-menopausal women, teens, and individuals with a family history of heart disease to ensure early, targeted care.
Closing thought: every heartbeat matters
As World Heart Day 2025 unfolds, Apollo Hospitals reaffirms its commitment to protecting every heartbeat through accessible care, equity, and prevention. Because when it comes to heart health in India, every beat matters.
