Coimbatore: In Tamil Nadu alone, at least 11 per cent of the population suffers from heart diseases making cardiovascular disease (CVD) responsible for loss of 2/5th of the lives of men and women who are over 40-years old.
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in India that killed 1.7 million Indians in 2016, according to the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Report. Medical experts from the textile city echo the opinion that only awareness can help in reducing the growing trend of CVD. Lack of access to quality health care services, smoking, ignorance of the disease and poverty are the reasons why so many people die of heart diseases and disorders in the country.
Data from the National Rural Health Mission brings to light that nearly eight per cent of the primary health centres in rural India were functioning without a doctor, while 61 per cent of them had just one doctor as of March 2017. Year after year, more number of people in the country are becoming victims of CVDs affecting rural populations and young adults the most, according to a study published in ‘The Lancet’.
The term cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to any disease of the heart. Most prevalent cardiovascular diseases include coronary heart disease (heart attack) and cerebrovascular disease (stroke).
The reasons for the prevalence of increasing CVD cases in the city over the years is because of changing lifestyle patterns like smoking, consuming alcohol, unhealthy diet and limited physical activity.
A study from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has suggested that 35 per cent of patients who had a heart attack are below 50 years old while another 10 per cent are under 30 years of age.
Talking about the increase in number of people suffering from heart diseases in Coimbatore and its symptoms, Dr Vydianathan P R, senior cardiologist said, “the number of CVD cases in Coimbatore have increased over the years. In fact, in Tamil Nadu, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of loss of life-years due to ill-health, disability or early death jumping three ranks, from 1990 to 2016. The CVDs' accounted for two out of every five deaths after the age of 40. With the sedentary lifestyle, the cases of heart problems are now alarming increasing in the young population. I have come across patients in their 30s, who have heart disease,” he said.
Of the patients that doctor sees, at least half of the men and women who suffer from heart ailments are also diabetic. Symptoms of such diseases tend to vary from individual to individual and may be absent or atypical in presence of underlying diabetes.
“Increasing breathlessness, giddiness, sweating, or chest discomfort could be symptoms of heart disease. Any person experiencing these symptoms should visit a doctor to ensure timely diagnosis, so that correct treatment can be started,” Dr Vydianathan said.
Highlighting the causes of heart diseases, Dr Balamurugan Ramanathan senior diabetologist said “high blood glucose (blood sugar) can be indicative of diabetes. CVD accounts for 2/3rd of deaths in people with diabetes and if left undiagnosed and untreated it can put one at increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, diabetes and CVD sprout from common soil, having common antecedents.”
A majority of CVDs are preventable. All that is required are a few lifestyle changes.
Decreasing the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, cessation of smoking, reducing intake of salt, increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, taking measures to curb obesity are some of the important steps that can help prevent CVDs. Regular exercising, staying physically active, changing sedentary lifestyle, and managing stress also helps keep heart diseases at bay.
As per surveys conducted over the years the cause of the CVD also is linked to genetics and diabetes. Both factors play a key role in the development of heart disease. According to a WHO study, high blood glucose (blood sugar) can be indicative of diabetes.
CVD accounts for 60 per cent of deaths in people with diabetes so if left undiagnosed and untreated it can put the patient at an increased risk of acquiring heart disease and stroke. In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke and not diabetes.
