Abstract

The 10-year younger mean age for the first presentation of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia compared with other regions of the world is contributing to the large increase in cardiovascular diseases witnessed in these regions over the years. Implementing preventive strategies based on current knowledge would avert the majority of coronary heart disease worldwide. Two clinical scenarios of male teachers of similar ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and emotional stress in their early years, developing acute coronary syndrome are being reported. However, the age at which they developed acute vascular events is distinctly different. The role of various risk factors, especially smoking, implicated in the genesis of premature atherosclerosis and CAD has been discussed and the importance of healthy lifestyle and regular exercise in imparting protection against the development of CAD is highlighted. It is aimed to sensitise the readers to stress on smoking cessation and adoption of appropriate lifestyle measures while advising their patients.

Key words: Atherosclerosis; coronary artery disease; risk factors; smoking; yoga.