May ended with the tragic deaths of two singers – Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath popularly known as KK, just 53 years old, who fell ill after a performance and passed away from pre-existing heart issues leading to heart failure, and 78-year-old Malayalam playback singer, Edava Basheer who collapsed and passed away during a live performance. This heartbreaking turn of events has shone the spotlight on the state of India’s heart health and the crying need to take action to prevent the growing incidence of unexpected deaths due to heart disease.
Heart disease can be a silent killer with 75% of the patients being unaware of the disease resulting in only one-fourth taking any kind of medical or surgical treatment. Today, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular events such as stroke are the leading causes of death globally. (Pixabay)
Heart disease can be a silent killer with 75% of the patients being unaware of the disease resulting in only one-fourth taking any kind of medical or surgical treatment. Today, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular events such as stroke are the leading causes of death globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India accounts for one-fifth of these deaths worldwide, especially in the younger population.
In 2019, before the pandemic struck, the Indian mission in the United Arab Emirates released some shocking figures on the cause of death of Indian expats who died in the first half of the year in the region. The data revealed that 57% of the deaths were due to a heart attack, with an alarming trend showing that many of the victims were in the 20-40 age group. This situation in a representative microcosm of NRI Indians is also a reflection of the situation in the country. CVDs are now the leading cause of death in rural as well as urban areas. One in four deaths in India is due to CVDs with ischemic heart disease and stroke occurring in over 80% of cases
Many factors are fueling this rise, including urban lifestyles with chronic stress, high calorie and unbalanced diets, and low physical activity. The Apollo Hospitals’ Health of the Nation 2022 report released in April confirms this trend showing a national prevalence of high blood pressure of about 8% in urban and semi-urban areas, along with alarming trends in obesity, one of the common risk factors for developing heart disease. An analysis of data on corporate employees shows that 56% have at least one non-communicable disease (NCD). Risk factors such as high cholesterol are prevalent in 48% and obesity in 18% of employees. While weight is a widely acknowledged risk factor, other aspects of metabolic health, such as waist circumference, blood glucose, hormone levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, are important modifiable risk contributors that we must take cognisance of.
These statistics are indicative of the tsunamic of heart disease that is taking on pandemic-like proportions and has the potential to leave a trail of destruction, emotionally and economically, for families and the country as a whole. The last few decades have seen CVD and other NCDs replacing infectious diseases and malnutrition as the dominant cause of premature death, morbidity and disability, with their impact growing over time.
CVDs pose a significant economic and social burden in India by impeding the pace of economic development, reducing the supply of talent and loss of productivity leading to a decrease in gross domestic product. The global economic impact of the five common NCDs could result in a cumulative output loss of $47 trillion by 2030. India is projected to lose $4.58 trillion by 2030 due to NCDs with CVDs accounting for the majority of the economic loss at $2.17 trillion.
On the positive side, 80% of premature deaths from heart attacks are preventable with proactive management and prevention strategies to reduce risks. We must emphasise health promotion and preventive measures to reduce exposure to risk factors. Conventional wellness programs focused only on weight reduction, without understanding the underlying health status may no longer be sufficient. Robust capacity for screening and early diagnosis backed by awareness programmes can help towards this end. An impactful program must be personalised to each individual’s context (their family history and lifestyle choices), while empowering them with credible health information, and nudging each one to proactively to take charge of their own health.
In an emergency, time is of the essence and it is crucial that the individual reach the hospital at the earliest. There are many free emergency cardiac ambulance services available that will provide immediate ambulatory first aid care even as the patient is route to the hospital. One must keep the numbers of these services handy so it is easy to access when emergency strikes.
We are now taking the war against CVDs to the next phase with technologies based on Artificial Intelligence our disposal. Using these new technologies, we have developed risk scores to predict the risk of developing heart disease and create structured programmes for improving clinical outcomes. In the Health of the Nation 2022, we shared that 50% of 31-50 year olds in India, who have come for preventive programmes have a high and moderate risk of a cardiac event within 10 years, based on our proprietary AI-CVD risk score.
We can no longer afford to wait for heart disease to strike unexpectedly. Waiting for symptoms to show before taking action is a mindset of the past. We must move to a more preventive mindset as a country and invest in our health proactively. Let us take ownership of our own health, and those who surround us, nudging one another and empowering one another to be a healthier and happier nation.
The article has been authored by Dr Prathap C Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.
E-Paper
