Q: I underwent angiography three years back. My cardiologist told me that there are no blocks in my heart and my heart as good as that of 25 years old. At that time I was 51 years old and had just developed type II diabetes. My blood sugar levels are under control. I am on hypertension treatment and take drugs for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. My question is, with this background, what is the time frame to develop blockages in arteries? I exercise and practice yoga regularly.

A:I don't think we have any mathematical scale on which we can define the time frame for development of blockage. We all know, Churchill smoked till the age of 90 but he never developed cancer and there are people who have never smoked and they have fallen victim to cancers. Similarly there are a lot of people who are diabetic, hypertensives, with high cholesterol level, who never developed blockages of the arteries of the heart and vice-e-versa is also true. However, if you will keep your sugar and cholesterol under check and you continue to exercise and practice yoga regularly then I am sure, there is no reason, why you should develop the blockage and if it ever comes, then we will talk about it; but do not anticipate things because it may add another risk factor to your profile - that of stress.