Image caption-Volunteers and participants gathered in Bengaluru for the Hridayamrit Foundation Walkathon, raising awareness on cardiovascular disease prevention through community spirit and active lifestyles.
New Delhi — In a country where cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than any other cause — accounting for nearly one in every four deaths — a young doctor decided that the fight against heart disease must begin not in catheterization labs, but in communities, classrooms, and conversations. One year ago, Dr. Amanpreet Singh Wasir, MBBS founded the Hridayamrit Foundation, and today, it stands as India’s first and largest youth-led organization dedicated to cardiovascular health literacy and prevention.
India is in the grip of a non-communicable disease epidemic. Cardiovascular diseases account for an estimated 28% of all deaths in India, with the burden falling disproportionately on younger populations and underserved communities. South Asians carry a genetically elevated risk of heart disease, developing it a decade earlier than global averages. Yet, awareness remains alarmingly low — millions do not know their blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol levels. Everyone knows that prevention is better than cure — but what is often forgotten is that prevention is also cheaper, easier, and far more impactful than cure. In a country battling an epidemic of lifestyle diseases, prevention must not remain an afterthought.
Dr. Wasir recalls a defining moment: “I had just ten minutes to counsel a patient with hypertension in a busy outpatient clinic. Later, she searched online—but found only Western data, complex language, and nothing reflecting her South Asian reality. That’s when it struck me: despite being a high-risk group, we still lack a platform tailored to our language, lifestyle, and risk. If we can’t explain heart disease in a way our people understand, we’ve already failed them.”
It was this gap that the Hridayamrit Foundation was born to address. Registered as a Section 8 not-for-profit company in March 2025, the Foundation draws its name from Sanskrit — ‘Hriday’ meaning heart, and ‘Amrit’ meaning nectar of knowledge and empowerment. India has numerous cardiac care organizations, but none led by young medical professionals with a singular focus on preventive cardiology, patient education, and public health literacy. Hridayamrit is the first-of-its-kind youth-led preventive cardiology organization that puts health education in the hands of the people who need it most, in the language they actually understand.
In just twelve months, the Foundation’s impact has been remarkable. Community-based cardiovascular screening and health literacy initiatives have reached over 3,000 individuals across diverse settings. Flagship initiatives span risk factor screening, health literacy programs, emergency preparedness, and youth leadership. More than 500 young volunteers have been mobilized, collectively conducting over 20 hybrid activities nationwide. The Foundation’s Medical School Campus Ambassador program spans over 100 medical colleges across India, making it the country’s most extensive student-driven cardiovascular health network in preventive cardiology. Operations now extend across 20+ states and union territories, supported by more than 20 leading cardiovascular advisors and over 40 national and international partnerships.
Members of the Hridayamrit Foundation’s leadership team during a virtual strategy meeting, representing young medical professionals and public health advocates from across India driving the Foundation’s mission.
As the Hridayamrit Foundation enters its second year, it is preparing to launch its Flagship National Mission—a strategically designed, phased rollout campaign aimed at bringing comprehensive cardiovascular prevention to every corner of the country. The program will deploy AI-augmented survey tools, train a preventive cardiology workforce, conduct mass cardiometabolic screenings, deliver culturally grounded health education, and establish long-term follow-up systems for behavioral change tracking. Hridayamrit has partnered with the South Asian Prevention Network Alliance (SAPNA) of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) to develop a comprehensive cardiovascular health literacy framework specifically designed for South Asian populations, incorporating culturally relevant guidance, region-specific clinical thresholds, and content planned for translation into regional languages.
“We believe that informed decisions save lives,” says Dr. Wasir, Founder and Managing Director of Hridayamrit Foundation, who is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the U.S.A. He also serves as a member of the South Asian Prevention Network and Early Career Working Group at ASPC, a HeartPAC (Political Action Committee) Member and Social Media Ambassador at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and has been recognized at multiple forums for his work in preventive cardiology and health advocacy. Dr. Wasir adds, “I believe an integrated approach to heart health is essential—one that goes beyond clinical risk factors to embrace complete well-being. We must not forget our roots; India’s traditional wisdom, including Yoga and Ayurveda, emphasized preventive and promotive health long before modern research. What we are building at Hridayamrit aims to reshape the narrative for the youth of this country. Every young person we train, every community we screen, every family we educate—that is one more heart saved. I invite you all to join us in building a healthier India.”
With its first anniversary, Hridayamrit Foundation marks not just a year of meaningful work, but the beginning of a movement. In a healthcare landscape that has long been reactive, this youth-led organization is charting a different course — one where prevention comes first, where young professionals lead from the front, and where every heart, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, has access to the knowledge that can save it.
