80% Indians Cleared by Tests Still Suffer Heart Attacks: Study

In a startling revelation from GB Pant hospital in New Delhi, doctors have warned that heart attacks in India are increasingly striking people who appear low risk by standard medical tests. A major study led by Dr Mohit Dayal Gupta found that nearly 80 per cent of Indian patients who suffered a first heart attack were not flagged as high-risk beforehand. According to the study, if you are being told you are health – with no alarming cholesterol levels, no major risk indicators, but suffer a sudden heart attack, is no longer rare in India; and it is becoming the norm. The study - which analysed over 5,000 Indian patients, found that commonly used global heart risk calculators failed to accurately predict risk in the majority of cases. Across

different models only 11 to 20 per cent were classified as high-risk, yet all patients eventually had a heart attack. This gap is raising serious concerns about how cardiovascular risk is assessed in Indians.Also read: Breakthrough RNA Therapy Could Repair Heart Damage Naturally

Why are Western models failing Indians?

According to Dr. Gupta, the issue lies in a fundamental mismatch. Most risk calculators are based on Western populations, where heart disease occurs later in life and follows different biological patterns. In contrast, in India the average heart attack age is just 54, risk factors develop earlier and behave differently. “Indian patients behave totally differently,” Dr Gupta explained, highlighting the urgent need for India-specific risk models.

The South Asian Phenotype: A hidden danger

Researchers point to a unique risk profile known as the South Asian phenotype, which makes heart disease harder to detect using conventional tools. Traditional metrics like BMI and LDL cholesterol often fail to capture the hidden dangers. Key characteristics include:

• Diabetes and insulin resistance even at normal weight
• Low HDL, or good cholesterol, and high triglycerides
• Hidden abdominal fat, even in lean individuals
• Higher levels of stress and smoking-related risks

What is the problem with current risk calculators?

Most global tools rely heavily on age and LDL or bad cholesterol, which leads to underestimation of risk in younger Indians, pushing many into an “intermediate risk” category - a grey zone where preventive treatment is often delayed. Crucially, these models ignore key markers such as lipoprotein(a), ApoB levels, central obesity and chronic kidney disease. The findings have sparked urgent calls for customised heart risk assessment tools tailored to Indian populations. Experts warn that without change; millions could remain undiagnosed until it’s too late.

What it means for you?

Doctors say even if your tests say low risk don’t ignore subtle warning signs. Experts recommend regular health screenings beyond basic cholesterol tests, monitoring blood sugar and insulin resistance, paying attention to waist size and not just weight, and managing stress and lifestyle habits India is facing a hidden heart disease epidemic, where traditional tools are failing to detect danger in time. The message is clear that low risk doesn’t always mean safe, especially for Indians. And until science catches up with India-specific realities, awareness could be your strongest defence.