Overview

• WHO says cardiovascular disease claimed an estimated 19.8 million lives in 2022 and reports eight CVD deaths per minute in the South‑East Asia Region, about half before age 70, with 85% of people with hypertension or diabetes not under control.
• India’s Health Ministry urged six heart‑healthy habits—eat nutritious food, cut salt, quit tobacco, maintain a healthy weight, limit alcohol, and exercise—as leaders amplified prevention messages under the “Don’t Miss a Beat” campaign.
• Doctors warned that heart disease is striking younger Indians and stressed that many premature deaths are preventable through timely screening, recognition of early symptoms, and prompt treatment.
• Apollo Hospitals’ Health of the Nation 2025 report flagged urban hotspots: Delhi‑NCR with rising high blood pressure and 65% fatty liver in those screened, Mumbai with 46% showing coronary calcium and some obstructive disease under 40, and Bengaluru with early‑age hypertension and high cholesterol.
• Hospitals paired public outreach with capacity gains, including Yatharth Super Speciality Hospitals’ community event and the opening of a Philips Azurion cardiac catheterisation lab in Delhi to expand interventional care.