Heart disease is increasingly being seen at younger ages in Bangladesh, with cardiologists pointing to smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, hypertension and diabetes as major cardiovascular risk factors emerging earlier in life.
The concern comes as Bangladesh observes World Heart Day today. This year’s campaign by the World Heart Federation is “Don’t Miss a Beat.” It calls for people to recognise heart problems early and act on warning signs and risk factors.
The World Heart Federation estimates that heart and blood vessel diseases caused 415,286 deaths in Bangladesh in 2024. They accounted for 34.4% of all deaths in the country, according to the latest available data.
Non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, account for 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh, according to the World Health Organization. More than half of these deaths occur before old age.
Dr Debashish Debnath, associate consultant at the Department of Cardiology at United Healthcare, told TIMES that heart disease was increasingly being seen among younger people.
He said sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and smoking were contributing to the early development of heart disease. He also pointed to alcohol and drug use.
Less physical activity and unhealthy eating can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which can increase the risk of heart disease, he said.
Tobacco remains a major risk
Tobacco use is one of the main preventable risks for heart disease in Bangladesh.
According to WHO’s Bangladesh Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2017, 35.3% of adults, or about 37.8 million people, used tobacco. About 18% smoked tobacco and 20.6% used smokeless tobacco.
Among adults, 36.2% of men and 0.8% of women reported smoking. Smokeless tobacco use was reported by 16.2% of men and 24.8% of women.
WHO’s 2026 Bangladesh tobacco update estimates that tobacco use caused 130,000 deaths in Bangladesh in 2021. This accounted for 21.9% of all deaths that year.
WHO says tobacco use is a major risk factor for heart disease and other non-communicable diseases.
The government approved changes to the tobacco-control ordinance in December 2025. WHO said the changes strengthened restrictions and enforcement.
Dr Debnath said reducing tobacco use was important in preventing heart disease at younger ages.
High blood pressure often goes unnoticed
High blood pressure is another major risk factor for heart disease. But many people may not know they have it because it often causes no clear symptoms.
The World Heart Federation’s Bangladesh profile puts the age-standardised prevalence of high blood pressure among adults at 23.5%, based on the latest data used in its country profile.
WHO says the only way to know whether a person has high blood pressure is to measure it. If it is not treated, it can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems.
Regular blood-pressure checks can help find the problem early.
WHO’s 2025 global hypertension report calls for better detection, treatment and control of high blood pressure through primary healthcare.
Bangladesh has made progress in some areas. WHO reported in 2025 that blood-pressure control improved from 15% to 56% between 2019 and 2025 in areas covered by its programme.
The improvement followed the inclusion of hypertension treatment in the essential health service package, along with stronger screening and follow-up.
These figures apply only to areas covered by the programme and do not represent the whole country.
Prevention needs to start earlier
WHO Bangladesh said in June that prevention of non-communicable diseases remained insufficient. It also said primary healthcare was not fully equipped to provide the long-term care needed by people with chronic diseases.
WHO says up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes cases could be prevented by addressing major risk factors.
Primary healthcare centres can help by checking people for risk factors and finding conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes early.
Bangladesh has a large rural primary healthcare network. WHO says more than 14,000 community clinics were functioning and reporting services as of 2019. Each clinic was responsible for providing essential services to about 12,000 people.
However, WHO has identified shortages in staff, service quality and facility readiness as areas that need improvement as Bangladesh works towards universal health coverage.
Professor Dr MA Muqueet, chairman of cardiology at Bangladesh Medical University, said more attention was needed on prevention and early detection at the local level.
He said prevention should begin at district hospitals instead of relying mainly on specialised hospitals to treat patients after serious heart disease has developed.
Earlier screening at district hospitals could help identify people with heart disease risks before their condition becomes serious, he said.
Dr Debnath also stressed the importance of regular exercise, healthier food and avoiding tobacco and other harmful substances to reduce the risk of heart disease at a younger age.
