Dr Naveed Ahmed, head of cardiac services at Aster Hospitals & Clinics in the UAE, has warned of an "alarming" rise in heart disease among people aged 31 to 50, describing cases that increasingly defy the assumption that cardiac problems mainly strike older patients. In one recent case, a 19-year-old arrived with all three major coronary arteries fully blocked, a severity typically seen in much older patients. A review of more than 3,500 patient records from the hospital group's Cardiac Catheterization Lab since 2018 found that nearly half of all patients treated fell between 31 and 50 years old, about 30 per cent were between 51 and 60, and only 10 to 15 per cent were over 60 — a pattern sharply different from Western countries, where heart disease typically peaks at older ages. More than 90 per cent of the patients analysed were from South Asia, with Indian nationals making up over 65 per cent, alongside significant numbers of Pakistani and Filipino patients. Dr Ahmed pointed to a combination of factors driving the trend: a strong genetic predisposition among South Asian populations, sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, heavy smoking, and psychosocial stress linked to family responsibilities and living away from relatives back home. He urged UAE residents to walk at least 10,000 steps daily, exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, prioritise adequate sleep, quit smoking, and undergo regular cardiac screening — particularly those with a family history of diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease. The findings add to growing concern among UAE healthcare providers about cardiovascular risk in the country's large South Asian expatriate community.