Oct 1, 2026
2 min read
Heart attacks are striking Guyanese in their 30s and 40s, with doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) urging people to get screened early.
In a Facebook post, GPHC Head of Cardiology Dr Michael Chin said younger patients may be at risk because of factors such as smoking, undetected hypertension and diabetes.
“If you are as early as 20 or 30s, especially if you have a father or a mother or brother or sister who have had heart disease in the past, you should be screened early,” he said.
He recommended checks for cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, together with a healthy lifestyle that includes not smoking, a healthy diet and exercise.
Dr Chin also cautioned against ignoring persistent chest pain.
“If you were to develop significant chest pain that is persistent, lasting 10 minutes, 15 minutes, heaviness that is associated with shortness of breath and sweating, it is important that you seek medical care urgently,” he said.
He advised anyone with these symptoms to call EMS or ask a relative to take them to the nearest emergency unit.
An electrocardiogram can show whether a major blockage is present, Dr Chin said, and speed is critical once it is found.
“The longer you take to open that blockage, what will happen is that you can have significant damage to the heart muscle leading to significant heart failure or it can be fatal,” he said.
GPHC can be reached on 227-8210, 227-8216 or 227-8241, extensions 1001 or 1136.
