Here’s why the urban population is more likely to have heart attacks

Mumbai: According to the study published in the Lancet Global Health, deaths due to cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in India, causing more than one quarter of all deaths in the country and affecting rural populations and young adults the most. A senior doctor said the urban population is three times more likely to have heart attacks than those living in rural areas. The reason for this can be attributed to stress, aberrant lifestyle, and hectic schedules that leave very little or no time for physical activity.

What is alarming in the finding is that even though most deaths were among people with previously known cardiac disease, at least half were not taking any regular medications for the condition. In India, most deaths occur at home and without medical attention.

Deaths due to both stroke and heart attack need research and action in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing cardiovascular mortality by 2030. To make progress at the global level, there is a need to first address this leading cause of mortality in India.

Dr K K Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said that the cardiac diseases include coronary artery disease, heart attack, arrhythmias, heart failure, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy, which are most common. Heart disease and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and stroke are steadily on the rise and will soon take epidemic proportions.

“The urban population is three times more likely to have heart attacks than those living in rural areas. The reason for this can be attributed to stress, aberrant lifestyle, and hectic schedules that leave very little or no time for physical activity. In recent times, healthy looking adults present with cases of cardiac arrest, stroke and hypertension or were at risk of developing any of these disease at any point in their lives,”added Dr Aggarwal.

Almost 80 per cent to 90 per cent of premature deaths that occur due to these NCDs in the country are preventable through regular screening, timely medical intervention, and proper disease management. Women, especially, need extra attention as the symptoms they present maybe entirely different to that of men.

Dr Aggarwal added that there is a very small percentage of participant with favorable factors for not getting heart problems. This reiterates the need to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle to have a healthy heart and this should begin early on in life.