Local doctor warns that younger men are being plagued by heart health issues, years sooner than women

THE WOODLANDS, TX – A recent study caught the attention of a local heart doctor and prompted him to put out a warning that heart health is increasingly becoming more of a concern to men years earlier than to their female counterparts.

February is American Heart Month, and Dr. Shareez Peerbhai, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Woodlands North Houston Heart Center Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group, is in his element when it comes to educating the community on heart health and risks to it.

Peerbhai is currently in his fourth year of practice after his extensive training. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and attending medical school at St. George University, he completed his internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship, and interventional and structural cardiology training at UT Health, where he served as Chief Resident, Chief Cardiology Fellow, and Chief Interventional & Structural Cardiology Fellow.

When asked by Woodlands Online about the origins of his medical practice journey, he replied that as early as age 5 he had told his parents he would be the first doctor in his family. “Believe it or not, I find my work quite rewarding and outright fun.”

The study that caught Peerbhai’s eyes was published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association. ‘Sex Differences in Age of Onset of Premature Cardiovascular Disease and Subtypes: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study’ revealed that men develop a greater risk of cardiovascular disease years earlier than women – with this heightened risk emerging around age 35.

Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term covering all diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure, and peripheral artery disease. Coronary heart disease is a specific type of cardiovascular disease characterized by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries; this narrowing reduces blood flow, potentially leading to chest pain or heart attack.

“While men start hitting significant levels of cardiovascular risk seven years sooner than women, coronary disease has a full ten-year head start on men over women,” he informed Woodlands Online.

The research in the study found that, surprisingly, this age difference between the sexes isn’t fully explained by traditional risk factors like cholesterol or smoking.

“One contributing factor could be that men have a higher content of visceral fat distribution; women, not so much,” said Peerbhai, referring to the storage of fat within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, intestines, and kidneys.

This finding is especially relevant given that young and middle-aged men often delay routine doctor visits. It underscores an urgent need for proactive heart health awareness within this demographic.

“Men need to get their blood pressure checked once a year starting as early as possible, even in their 20s,” said Peerbhai. “They have to get in control now to avoid downstream consequences.”

Peerbhai has easy steps laid out to mitigate and minimize coronary and cardiovascular issues.

“Obviously, smoking is a red flag. So is a lack of exercise. When it comes to diet, not only do you want something heart-healthy – and the Mediterranean diet is great because it prioritizes fruits and vegetables and deemphasizes high saturated fats – but you need to remember that moderation is key,” he told Woodlands Online.

Weight maintenance is paramount. “Your input needs to be less than your output.” When asked about certain weight-loss measures such as GLP-1 treatments, Peerbhai was cautiously optimistic.

“The more they study these medicines, the more benefits they find,” he told Woodlands Online. “But they need to be treated as a tool in your toolbox to jump start your weight-loss journey in addition to diet and exercise; they can’t work properly by themselves.”

Though he stresses the importance of early action to preempt future issues, he assures that not all hope is lost for those already in advanced years.

“Everything you can do now to modify your risks can slow the disease progression. Though you can’t control genetics, you can control environments. Do something. No matter your age, get an annual physical with your primary doctor. This is where screening starts; cardiologists like me can come in later if needed. Stay active to increase your heart rate; if you’re older, bicycles – stationary or mobile – are perfect.”

Peerbhai encourages men and women of all ages to read the study that originally caught his attention, which can be found at www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.125.044922, and likewise encourages everyone to immediately get on the proper path for cardiovascular health.