BENGALURU: One in 20 cases of cardiovascular disease can be prevented if everyone did 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week. For physical activity one need not necessarily go to the gym, even walking to work or doing household chores can help.
This was revealed in a study carried out by Lancet magazine, which covered more than 1,30,000 people from 17 countries , including India.
It noted that being highly active (750 minutes a week) is associated with an even greater reduction, and the authors found that this was more achievable for those who built physical activity into their day through active transport, job type or housework.
In the study, 1,30,843 participants aged 35-70 years from urban and rural areas in 17 countries across various world regions answered questionnaires.
In India, data was collected from over 24,000 people in cities such as Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Bengaluru.
Regarding the study, Dr R.M. Anjana, Vice President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), and India Investigator for the report said, “This study is very relevant in the Indian context because it shows for the first time that engaging in non-recreational activity (like household chores, activity at work etc.) also has a benefit on overall mortality. In India, people are most active during work or transport. Thus, we now know that whatever physical activity we incorporate into our daily lives can have a beneficial effect in decreasing mortality."
The study might help the city planners to think on those lines, as a recent data shared by an insurance company had revealed that claims related to cardiovascular diseases in the age group of 35 and below have risen alarmingly. According to the company there was a 40% jump in such cases within a year in 2016-2017, as compared with 2015-2016.
"In Bengaluru working women between the age group of 25 and 35 years are prone to heart diseases due to lack of estrogen. Prolonged intake of painkillers, hormonal and contraceptive pills can cause clotting of blood in the arteries. This coupled with unhealthy lifestyle and stress increases the risk of heart diseases," warned Dr Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus.
Sedentary populace
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18-64 years old should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, as well as muscle strengthening exercises at least two days a week. But estimates suggest that almost a quarter (23%) of the world’s population was not meeting these guidelines
