Cardiologists feel stress as the prime cause of heart diseases

64% of cardiologists feel that stress is the main cause of cardiovascular ailments, says a report. Moreover, 68 per cent of doctors contend that any age group could be vulnerable to heart disease, it said. It is contrary to popular belief that improper diet and lack of exercise were responsible for heart disease, said a report by ICICI Lombard. The study, which was conducted among 50 cardiologists, also revealed that age was not a determining factor with 68 per cent of doctors contending that any age group could be vulnerable to heart disease. Generally, people think that the 41-50 age group is most susceptible to cardiac ailments. Among other findings, 74 per cent of doctors said heart disease could affect people with any body type, while most people thought only the overweight were vulnerable. Cardiologists said ‘high cholesterol’ foods were the primary cause of heart disease, and not oily and fatty foods as people would think.