Men Need Heart Checkups in Their Mid-30s, Not 40s—Here's Why

Heart damage during surgery happens more often than you might think—affecting about 15% of high-risk patients—but having a heart specialist involved in post-surgery care can dramatically improve survival rates. A major new study found that patients who saw a cardiologist after experiencing heart damage during non-cardiac surgery were 35% less likely to die within a year and 46% less likely to suffer serious heart complications.

What Makes Post-Surgery Heart Damage So Dangerous?

When you undergo surgery—even procedures that have nothing to do with your heart—your cardiovascular system faces significant stress. "With our aging population, surgery is increasingly common. Even when surgery is not on the heart, the heart is challenged by the stress of surgery, including anesthesia, blood loss, inflammation and changes in blood pressure," explained Dr. Christian Puelacher from the University of Basel, who led the research.

This stress can lead to what doctors call perioperative myocardial infarction/injury (PMI), which is essentially heart damage that occurs during or right after surgery. The concerning part? It usually happens without any symptoms, making it a silent threat that often goes undetected in patients aged 65 or older or those with existing cardiovascular disease.

How Did Researchers Discover This Connection?

The Swiss research team studied 14,294 patients undergoing non-cardiac surgeries like orthopedic procedures. All participants were considered high-risk because they were either 65 or older or already had cardiovascular disease. After surgery, doctors tested their blood for troponin, a protein released when the heart is damaged.

Of the 1,048 patients who showed signs of heart damage, 614 were evaluated by a cardiologist while 434 were not—often because it was a weekend, holiday, or specialists were busy with more urgent cases. This created what researchers call a "natural experiment" that allowed them to compare outcomes between the two groups.

The results were striking. Patients who received cardiology consultations experienced significantly better outcomes across multiple measures:

• Survival Rate: 35% lower risk of death within one year compared to those without cardiology consultation
• Heart Complications: 46% reduction in serious heart problems including heart attacks, heart failure, and dangerous irregular rhythms
• Enhanced Care: More likely to receive heart imaging tests and stronger medications for protection

"Our study shows that having a cardiologist involved in a patient's care after PMI is associated with fewer serious heart problems and better survival one year later," said Dr. Puelacher.

What This Means for Your Healthcare Planning

This research highlights the critical importance of specialist consultation when heart complications arise, particularly in surgical settings. The findings emphasize how proper post-operative cardiac management can prevent serious complications in high-risk patients.

Understanding the difference between preventive and urgent care becomes crucial in managing your overall health strategy. Preventive care visits focus on maintaining health through comprehensive physical examinations, routine screenings, and early detection measures. These appointments typically include blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol testing, and age-appropriate cardiovascular assessments.

For patients facing surgery, especially those over 65 or with existing heart conditions, the study suggests that systematic screening for heart damage should be standard practice, followed by immediate cardiology consultation when problems are detected.

Professor William Weintraub from Georgetown University, who wrote an accompanying editorial, noted that while the study shows association rather than direct causation, the evidence supports implementing cardiology consultations for post-surgical heart damage. "This study provides evidence of clinical benefit and there is no evidence of harm," he concluded.

The research team is now implementing screening programs across hospitals in Switzerland and Austria to further validate their findings and develop standardized protocols for identifying and managing post-surgical heart damage in high-risk patients.