Jaipur, September 29, 2026: Young Indians track their steps, sleep and workouts. Yet many may be unaware of some of the most basic indicators of their heart health.
This World Heart Day, Eternal Hospital, a leading multispecialty hospital working towards cardiac care, has launched #DilKiReportCard, a public awareness campaign led by Dr Ajeet Bana to encourage young Indians to know, understand and act on the everyday indicators of their heart health.
The need for greater awareness comes against a well-documented pattern of cardiovascular disease occurring at younger ages among Indians. Research on young Indians has reported that more than 50% of cardiovascular disease mortality occurs before the age of 50, with smoking, dyslipidaemia and hypertension among the major cardiovascular risk factors in younger populations. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of Indian adults also estimated the pooled prevalence of cardiovascular disease at 11%, highlighting the significant burden of cardiovascular disease in the country.
Built around the thought “Your heart deserves a report card too”, #DilKiReportCard brings cardiovascular health into everyday conversations around fitness and wellbeing, particularly among younger Indians who may associate heart disease primarily with older age.
At the centre of the campaign is a simple five-point Heart Check-In, covering blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, family history and smoking habits. The campaign also introduces “Know Your 90”, a call to check LDL cholesterol and know whether the level is below 90 mg/dL, alongside an understanding of individual cardiovascular risk. The campaign directs people to discuss their appropriate LDL target with their doctor, since recommended levels vary according to cardiovascular risk.
The campaign opens with a hero film built around the story of a 26-year-old patient who exercised regularly, ate well and appeared physically fit, while continuing to smoke. His experience highlights a larger message at the heart of the campaign: fitness alone does not provide a complete picture of cardiovascular health.
Dr Ajeet Bana, Chairman, Cardiac Sciences, Eternal Hospital, said, “One of the most concerning changes we are seeing is that heart attacks are increasingly entering conversations around people in their twenties, thirties and forties. A young person may be working out regularly, running, playing sport or spending hours in the gym and still carry cardiovascular risk. Being physically fit and having a healthy heart are related, but they are not the same thing. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, family history and smoking history can reveal risks that fitness alone may not show. #DilKiReportCard is about making young people ask these questions before a heart event forces them to.”
The campaign also puts the spotlight on symptoms that are easy to dismiss as stress, acidity, tiredness or poor fitness, including unusual breathlessness, a decline in stamina, chest discomfort, pain in the arm, shoulder, back or jaw, unexplained fatigue, sweating, nausea and recurring palpitations.
Dr Bana added, “A heart-health conversation should begin long before a person reaches a hospital. #DilKiReportCard gives people a simple way to pause and look at the information they already have, identify what they need to check and start a conversation with their doctor. It is equally important to pass that awareness on to the people around us, particularly young people who may believe that age or fitness places them outside the conversation on heart disease.”
Through #DilKiReportCard, Eternal Hospital and Dr Ajeet Bana aim to put heart health on the everyday health agenda for young Indians, making cardiovascular awareness part of how people think about fitness, wellbeing and preventive health.