In 1991, 3 doctors died in duty rooms; people blamed inactivity, ghee & coconut oil, but Apollo's Dr Prathap C Reddy says centuries-old famine may have altered genes

In 1991, the deaths of three Indian doctors in their duty rooms triggered a debate over why young people were developing serious heart problems. More than three decades later, Apollo Hospitals Group Founder and Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy has pointed to deeper ancestral and genetic factors that may contribute to the higher risk of heart attacks among South Asians at a younger age.

Speaking to ANI about the increasing incidence of heart problems among younger people, Reddy recalled the deaths and the discussions that followed.

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“When I came to India, I used to see a lot of young people with heart problems...In 1991, three Indian doctors died in their duty rooms, and then hell broke out. They blamed inactivity, ghee, and coconut oil. But finally, it has been proven that 3 centuries ago, there was a famine that altered our genes. So, South Asians are prone to heart attacks at a much younger age. So, we have to be much more careful...” he told ANI.