High Cholesterol in Your 20s and 30s? Expert Shares Why It’s No Longer Just an Older Person’s Problem

For years, cholesterol was seen as an “older person’s problem.” People thought of their parents or grandparents being told to skip fried food or take cholesterol-lowering tablets. But times have changed. The number of individuals in their 20s to 30s presenting in clinics with high cholesterol is increasing today. What can be viewed as a midlife issue is now a reality for young generations.

This change is worrying. The damage caused by cholesterol does not take time before becoming apparent in middle age. It can silently begin in youth and accumulate in the arteries, and before one realises, it has occurred through a heart attack or a stroke.

Why Young People Are at Risk

According to Dr. H Guru Prasad, Clinical Director and HOD – General Medicine, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, the rising trend of cholesterol in the young is due to two main reasons: family history and lifestyle. “If one or both parents have high cholesterol or early heart disease, the genetic risk often gets passed on,” he explains. “This means even slim or otherwise healthy-looking young adults may already have elevated LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol.”

The second one is lifestyle. Dr. Prasad cites such habits as nighttime fast food, energy drinks with excessive sugar content, excessive hours at the desk, and irregular sleeping patterns. These tendencies drive up cholesterol and triglycerides. With the passage of time, they permit the build-up of fatty deposits in blood vessels. This is atherosclerosis, as it is known.

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What Happens Inside the Body

According to Dr. Prasad, atherosclerosis does not come overnight. Even in adolescence itself, the fatty streaks start developing in the arteries. As time goes by, these streaks become plaques which constrict arteries. The event that occurs in the heart arteries increases the chances of chest pain or a heart attack. It increases the risk of stroke in the brain. The biggest problem is that this damage is often silent. Many young people may not know anything is wrong until a crisis hits.

Subtle Signs Not to Ignore

Cholesterol does not hurt itself. But its effects may show up as:

• Dyspnea or dyspnea can be related to mild effort.
• Pain in the chest following exercise.
• Numbness or pain in the legs or arms.
• Deposits around the eyes or tendons (uncommon) are yellowish.

“Young people often ignore these signals, thinking they are too young to have heart problems,” says Dr. Prasad.

Why Screening Matters

The American Heart Association recommends checking cholesterol from age 20 onwards. Dr. Prasad stresses this is even more important in India. “Heart disease tends to strike nearly a decade earlier in Indians compared to Western countries. A simple lipid profile blood test gives a clear picture of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Knowing these numbers early can guide lifestyle and treatment before serious damage occurs.”

Small Everyday Choices Make a Big Difference

Some of them might require medicines, but according to Dr. Prasad, lifestyle is the initial line of defence.

• Select home-cooked meals containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lentils.
• Limit packets, red meats and fried food containing trans fats.
• Workout 150 minutes per week, such as walking, biking, swimming, or anything fun.
• Maintain a healthy sleeping schedule and cope with stress by practising yoga, meditation or hobbies.
• Stop smoking and reduce alcohol, which aggravates cholesterol damage.

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Conclusion

High cholesterol has ceased to be an age-related disease. The younger generations are being subjected to real danger by genetics and lifestyle. The harm can be undetected for years, yet it can be avoided. Young adults can defend themselves against long-term heart and artery damage by means of early screening, mindful eating, and healthy routines. Do not wait until middle age to get down to it.