NEW YORK (Special Correspondent): Cardiologist Dr. Ijaz Ahmad has called for greater emphasis on early prevention and screening for cardiovascular disease, warning that while heart attacks can occur suddenly, the underlying heart disease often develops silently for decades.

In a commentary published by The Well News, Dr. Ahmad, Medical Director of Park Slope Cardiac and Diagnostic Center, said people who feel healthy may still have significant cardiovascular risk factors that go unnoticed.

He said coronary artery disease can develop gradually, with plaque buildup in the arteries potentially progressing for 20 to 30 years before a major cardiac event occurs.

Dr. Ahmad highlighted growing concerns about cardiovascular risks appearing at younger ages. He pointed to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure and poor sleep as factors increasingly being observed among people in their 30s and 40s.

He also raised concerns about cardiovascular risks among South Asian communities, noting that some South Asian adults may face higher risks of high blood pressure and prediabetes or type 2 diabetes compared with people from other ethnic groups of the same age.

The cardiologist emphasized that access to healthcare should not determine whether people receive preventive cardiac care. He called for greater availability of blood-pressure and cholesterol checks, diabetes screening, smoking-cessation support and nutritional guidance, particularly in underserved communities.

According to Dr. Ahmad, community-based cardiovascular screening could be expanded through health centers, pharmacies, libraries, places of worship and other trusted community locations. He also suggested incorporating age-appropriate education about nutrition, physical activity, sleep and smoking or vaping into school health programs.

Dr. Ahmad stressed that modern medicine can successfully treat serious cardiovascular emergencies, but preventing heart attacks before they occur should remain a major public-health priority.

He urged people to focus not only on treating heart disease after an emergency but also on identifying and controlling risk factors years before they develop into a serious cardiac condition.