Four out of 10 people in Mumbai in the 18-69 age group are at a high risk of contracting cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the WHO Step Survey conducted by the BMC from August to December 2021.
A total of 5,199 adults participated in the survey (2,601 men and 2,598 women), of which 37% were reported with three or more CVD risk factors, including regular smoking, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables, obesity, inadequate physical activity, high BP and glucose levels. The survey also revealed that seven out of 10 Mumbaikars don’t include fitness/sports-related activity in their daily routine.
Non communicable diseases (NCDs), including CVD, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease, are the leading causes of death across the world. NCDs resulted in nearly 40 million deaths globally in 2016, accounting for 71% of all deaths worldwide.
In India, this proportion was 61% in 2016 (an estimated 5.87 million deaths in 2016). Key behavioural risk factors for NCDs include tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, high intake of salt and insufficient physical inactivity. Main biological risk factors include obesity, raised blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol. Combating these increasing trends of deaths through impactful strategies needs assessment of these risk factors.
A senior cardiologist said the BMC needs to pull up its socks and reach out to people and create awareness related to healthy lifestyle. Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar said the study has revealed how Mumbaikars are suffering from non-communicable diseases which need special attention and people should rethink their lifestyle. He said the BMC’s yoga centres have been started with an eye on such malaises.
