Dear Friends
My father passed away in his late fifties, and at that time, I was in my mid-twenties. It was a bit early for his age; however, the silver lining is that there were no major responsibilities regarding children's education, marriages/their jobs, or financial liability. These 3 factors predominantly determine the cost of death. However, we cannot value or replace the emotional loss.
Since then, I have been doing some research on age, responsibilities, and the cost of death trio patterns. In my view, up to 40, the body behaves like a new machine. 40–55:
Minor warning lights appear. 55–60: The machine still runs, but hidden wear becomes visible. WHO and Lancet-linked studies show: working >55 hours/week increases heart disease risk. On Feb 19, 2026, The Times of India published an interesting article titled “Success stress: Why high performers face greater cardiac risk.” This is absolutely true. High achievers are frequently conditioned to remain composed under pressure. Research has demonstrated an association between unexpressed stress, autonomic imbalance, and increased cardiac risk.
You might be wondering why I am talking about this topic today. Yes, yesterday, when I heard about a known high-profile professional who passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 59, I was a bit shocked. He is a veteran at Microsoft. I first heard his name when we worked for Microsoft as a vendor. My spouse used to work as a Project Manager for Windows testing, and I worked for MS IT Systems. This person used to be the head of Windows. He was instrumental in setting up the India MS Office. He was also an active angel and seed investor in startups across the US and internationally. He is considered to be a generous mentor, a visionary leader, and one of the most respected figures in the developer ecosystem.
It is not one isolated case; in recent times, we are witnessing more and more people in this age bracket getting affected. Of course, I do not know the personal background of this case. Generally, when I am trying to analyze similar situations, I find multiple reasons. There is a subtle pressure that builds up after 50. The time we can prove is less. We inch up in the professional ladder to the peak stages and are accountable for certain targets and revenues. Without any symptoms, our body becomes weak unknowingly due to peak usage. Our responsibilities are at the final stage and critical point (esp. children's marriages, their jobs, pension worries, Basic ailments like Sugar, BP, Heart, etc.). Externally, we look healthy, but internally, the pressure gets jacked up.
There was an interesting article in the Times back in 2025. Study finds two turning points at which the body begins aging rapidly. A major study by Stanford Medicine has discovered that our bodies go through two major “speed-up” phases — around mid-40s and again around early 60s — when many biological systems shift dramatically at once. During these ages, organs, tissues, and internal systems start to wear down more quickly than before. Aging might come in waves. More precisely, approximately at ages 44 and 60.
What is the solution for this subtle problem? Can you solve this, since many of the parameters are not in our control? The true answer is NO. We cannot solve this problem, no matter what exercise, medication, or props you create. It is under God’s intervention. At most, what we can do is start planning to resolve these issues from 44 and try to complete them before 60, where these turning points are critical in our lives. If you look at our ancient wisdom, they planned our life accordingly- marriage, kids, retirement dates, etc are designed that way. We should not defy God’s design. Accept them with grace and surrender to HIM.
God designed pain not only to punish, but sometimes to pause us. These are my personal views.
Ravi Saripalle
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