Living life in the fast lane is nothing new. There is always a temptation to take short cuts when it comes to our health. Many people eat the wrong type of food at the wrong times, drink too much and fail to get enough exercise.
Add to the fact that modern lifestyles encourage people to work long, often unsociable hours, and it's easy to see why even young, seemingly healthy individuals end up suffering chest pains. The stress-filled, non-stop environment that is Hong Kong makes it a prime location for such problems.
While chest pains in the young are very rarely related to heart issues it is vitally important that the first warning sign is taken seriously. After all it's far better to be safe than sorry and if there is an underlying problem your doctor should be able to alert you to the potential dangers ahead and help you prevent it from becoming a serious issue.
Chest pains in young people are far more likely to be connected to issues relating to muscles, bones and cartilage, nerves or the lungs. Still we need to rule out a heart problem, as coronary heart disease patients are getting younger, due mainly to a Western diet, stress, and sedentary lifestyles.
Looking at a case history highlights one of the problems faced by young executives striving to be a success in the competitive corporate world. Mr Yeung (not his real name) is a young banker working in an investment bank. He works more than 12 hours a day, and has no time for exercise.