Heart disease often develops silently over many years, and waiting for symptoms to appear can be dangerous. While many people focus solely on cholesterol numbers, experts say it’s important to go beyond routine blood work to gain a complete understanding of heart health.

Cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty highlights the tests that can uncover hidden risks before they become serious.

Why Blood Tests Alone Aren’t Enough

Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty in an interview with CNN News18 said, “Apart from the blood tests, they should go for an echocardiogram of the heart, they should go for the Electrocardiogram (ECG), and a CT angio or a calcium score at least, a CT scan of the heart in simple terms to know whether the abnormal cholesterol has affected the heart,” Dr. Shetty explains.

What Is an Echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create real-time images of the heart. It allows doctors to evaluate the heart’s structure, function, and blood flow. This noninvasive procedure can help diagnose and monitor conditions such as valve problems, damage from a heart attack, or congenital heart defects. A probe is placed on the chest to capture echoes from the heart tissues, explains Mayo Clinic.

What Is an Electrocardiogram?

An ECG, or Electrocardiogram, measures the heart’s electrical activity. It records signals that indicate heart rate and rhythm and can help detect heart attacks, arrhythmias, and an enlarged heart, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

What Is a CT Angiogram?

A CT angiogram is a non-invasive scan that combines a CT scan with contrast dye to create 3D images of the heart’s blood vessels. It helps identify narrowed or blocked arteries that may cause chest pain or other symptoms. Patients lie on a table that slides into the scanner while receiving a contrast dye injection and holding their breath when instructed.

This test can also determine whether a patient needs a more invasive coronary angiogram, which can be used for both diagnosis and treatment.

Additional Screening With Carotid Doppler

Dr. Shetty also recommends carotid doppler scans to assess arterial health. “If it has affected the heart, we can do a carotid doppler to find out whether it has affected the arteries. If the arteries are all clean, if the heart is clean, of course we should do everything possible to reduce the cholesterol,” he says.

This test examines the carotid arteries in the neck, which supply blood to the brain. Early detection of narrowing or blockages can prevent strokes and other complications, giving patients an opportunity to manage risks proactively.

Lifestyle First, Medication Later

While testing is crucial, Dr. Shetty emphasizes that lifestyle changes should come first. “I would not go to the extreme form of very high dose of all these medicines and starting the medicine from day one, first get lifestyle modification, dietary changes, weight loss and if all the thing does not work, maybe they can start with a small dose of lipid lowering drugs to see whether it will make a difference,” he says.

Maintaining a heart-healthy diet, staying active, and managing weight can have a significant impact on cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular risk.

Early Detection Matters

Dr. Shetty stresses that coronary artery disease begins much earlier than most people realize. “We are not very aggressively following up with this lipid lowering strategy because patient at the age of 50 has not developed any damage to the coronary arteries, very very unlikely that they will develop from beginning at the age of 50, very unlikely. Coronary artery disease always starts at a very very young age.”

The key takeaway is clear: don’t wait for symptoms. Early screening with targeted heart tests, combined with lifestyle management, can significantly reduce long-term risks and help maintain a healthy heart well into later life.

A mutated strain of flu has sparked an unusually early wave of infections across the UK, and health experts warn it could become the country’s worst flu season in ten years. Health officials recently issued an urgent “flu jab SOS,” encouraging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. NHS England reports that flu cases are already three times higher than this time last year, even though the peak of the season is still ahead.

Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way to protect yourself from severe flu. Still, many people are puzzled when they catch the flu despite having taken the shot. Here’s why.

The Flu Is Caused by Different Types of the Influenza Virus

• Influenza A – This is the most widespread type and spreads easily from person to person. The subtypes most often seen in humans are A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Influenza B– Though less common, Type B also spreads among humans. It can still be serious, though it tends to be milder than Type A. Influenza B viruses fall into two main lineages: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria.

The flu shot is designed to protect against both major Type A strains and at least one, sometimes both, Type B lineages. Because these viruses evolve quickly, scientists adjust the vaccine each year based on which strains have been circulating in other parts of the world during the previous six months.

Why Did I Catch the Flu Even After Taking the Vaccine?

Your age can strongly influence how well your body responds to the vaccine. Infants and young children are at higher risk because their immune systems are still developing and may not have produced enough antibodies to fight a new virus.

Older adults, on the other hand, may have weaker immune systems due to age or existing health issues like diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or cancer. For this reason, the CDC recommends a higher-dose flu shot for adults over 65 to help boost their immune response.

Flu Shot Takes Two Weeks to Work

Another common reason people get sick even after vaccination is timing. The body needs time, usually about two weeks, to develop enough antibodies after getting the shot. If you are exposed to the flu virus during this window, before your immune system has fully responded, you could still fall ill.

Could I Be Mistaking Another Viral Infection for the Flu?

It’s possible. Not every cough, fever, or sore throat is the flu. Viruses like RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), rhinovirus, or some types of coronavirus can cause similar symptoms. The flu vaccine only targets influenza viruses, so it won’t protect you against these other infections.

The Flu Virus Keeps Changing

Unlike many viruses, influenza mutates constantly. This ongoing change, called mutation, makes it a moving target for scientists. Researchers track global patterns to predict which strains are likely to dominate, and vaccines are then formulated accordingly.

If the virus shifts after the vaccine has been made, the match between the vaccine and the circulating strain may not be perfect. Even then, vaccination still helps, reducing your risk of catching the flu and making the infection less severe if you do get sick.

The flu vaccine isn’t a guarantee against every illness, but it remains your best defense against serious flu, hospitalisation, and complications. Even in years when the match isn’t exact, getting vaccinated greatly lowers the chance of severe disease and saves lives.

The new study shows that more and more American adults are having serious trouble with their memory, concentration, and ability to make decisions. This is a growing concern, and the problem is rising fastest among people under the age of 40. When people think about cognitive issues like memory, focus, etc., they associate it with older age, like the 70s and 80s. However, reports of these problems appearing much earlier are steadily increasing. But why is that?

The research, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests this is not just a personal concern but a public health issue connected to factors like income and education.

The study reviewed health surveys taken between 2013 and 2023. They categorized people as having a "cognitive disability" if they reported having serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical or mental condition.

Who is Is Affected The Most By Memory Loss?

The overall number of adults reporting these thinking and memory problems went up significantly over ten years. However, the most surprising and worrying part of the study was the trend among young adults. For people under 40, the reported rates of difficulty with focus and memory nearly doubled, jumping from about 5% to almost 10%.

At the same time, older adults (age 70 and up) actually saw a slight decrease in their reported problems. This huge jump in younger people suggests a new and serious issue. Even though the survey relied on people telling the researchers how they felt, the rapid increase among younger people points to a developing public health issue that could affect their health, their work, and the healthcare system for decades to come.

What Are A Few Causes Of Poor Brain Health?

The study clearly shows that money and education play a big part in who is struggling with cognitive issues. People with lower incomes reported the highest rates of memory and focus problems, and their rates are rising the fastest. For adults earning less than $35,000 a year, the rate of reported issues soared.

In contrast, people earning over $75,000 only saw a much smaller increase. A similar pattern was seen with education: people who didn't finish high school reported much higher rates than college graduates, and their rates also increased more steeply. This suggests that the people already dealing with financial or structural disadvantages are the ones seeing the biggest decline in their reported brain health.

Other Risk Factor of Poor Brain Health

The increase in memory and thinking problems was observed across almost all racial and ethnic groups. However, some groups reported much higher rates than others. For example, American Indian and Alaska Native adults reported the highest percentage of cognitive challenges overall, and their rates of reported problems also increased substantially over the decade.

Hispanic and Black adults also saw significant increases. The researchers believe these findings indicate that the groups who already face larger structural disadvantages in society are experiencing the sharpest rise in these thinking and memory issues. The study authors emphasized that we need more research to understand the social and economic reasons behind these large, growing differences.

Thousands of lives could be at risk from flu this winter, health experts have cautioned, after new figures revealed that flu-related deaths more than doubled over the past year. Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that deaths from flu in England rose sharply to 7,757 last winter, compared with 3,555 the previous year.

The number of children who died with flu also increased from 34 to 53. With the UK preparing for a severe flu season, NHS leaders have sounded a “flu jab SOS,” urging people to get vaccinated without delay. As flu cases continue to climb, it is important to stay alert for symptoms—especially among those more vulnerable to serious illness.

Flu Virus In UK Mutates, Bypassing Immunity

A concerning warning has been issued about a new, potentially deadly strain of flu that may sweep through the UK this winter. Official reports indicate that the flu season began unusually early in October, pushing up hospital admissions, with the highest number of cases seen in children aged five to fourteen. This alert follows Australia’s record-breaking flu season, which is often seen as a signal of what may happen in the UK.

Dr Suzanna McDonald, National Lead for the Influenza Programme at UKHSA, explained, “Flu has struck earlier than expected and will keep spreading in the coming weeks. Many people mistake a bad cold for flu, but true influenza can be severe and, for some who are at greater risk, even fatal.”

The current flu strain appears to have mutated in a way that allows it to partially evade existing immunity, causing the season to begin more than a month earlier than usual and leading to stronger outbreaks. In response, the NHS has issued an urgent appeal for people to get vaccinated, warning that the mix of an early onset and a more aggressive virus could make this one of the toughest flu seasons in recent years. While experts say there is still some uncertainty, many believe this could turn out to be the worst flu wave in a decade.

Flu Virus 2025 Symptoms In UK

Flu symptoms can differ from person to person. Some may carry the virus without any noticeable illness, while others develop a sudden high temperature, muscle pain, and extreme tiredness. The infection poses the greatest threat to older adults and those with underlying health issues.

That is why getting the annual flu vaccine is essential. The NHS has issued an urgent “flu jab SOS,” announcing that 2.4 million vaccine slots are open this week for people to book their shots and boost protection before the virus peaks.

Flu Virus 2025 Vulnerable Groups

Certain groups are at a higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications. These include older adults, young children, pregnant women, and those with chronic medical conditions. The World Health Organization also identifies people who are obese, immunocompromised, or working in healthcare as high-risk, as they face greater chances of developing severe illness if infected.

UKHSA Urges Eligible Groups To Get Vaccinated

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged everyone eligible for a free flu vaccine to schedule their appointment as soon as possible, as flu activity rises across England. Hospital admissions linked to flu have gone up from 1.74 to 2.19 per 100,000 people, with 247 new admissions recorded in the past week, as per NHS.

Among children aged 5 to 14, the percentage testing positive for flu in hospitals jumped from 20% to nearly 31% in just one week.

Health officials issued a renewed “flu jab SOS” last week, warning people to get protected immediately as the virus spreads earlier than usual. According to NHS England, flu cases are already three times higher than this time last year, and the season’s peak is still weeks away.