Hyderabad, September 30: Cardio-vascular disease (CVD) is currently the leading cause of death in India and its prevalence is projected to rise and is reaching epidemic proportions. In 2000, there were an estimated 30 million people with coronary heart disease (CHD-decreased blood supply) alone in India, or a nearly 3 per cent prevalence.
This increased to 36 millions in 2005 and is projected to increase to 61.5 millions by 2015. If we include congenital heart and rheumatic heart diseases, the projected prevalence of cardio-vascular diseases is 64 millions by 2015. In uraban areas, 8-10 per cent are suffering from heart diseases while in rural areas, the prevalence is 4-6 per cent.
The prevalence of risk factors which increase the chances of heart diseases is also rising in India. The prevalence of hypertension is projected to increase from 118 million (2000) to 214 million (2025 between heart failure risk and blood pressure that occurs even below 140 mmHg.
Similarly, the prevalence of diabetes in India is projected to increase from 32 million (2000) to 70 million (2025). Similarly the burden of tobacco smoking is projected to increase from 94 million in 1998-99 by more than 1.5 millions annually. Similarly the other risk factors like obesity, Metabolic syndrome and high total cholesterol and HDL ratios are also increasing significantly. In a recent study done at Hyderbad, only 30-35 per cent of the people were healthy. All the remaining were suffering from hypertension, diabetes and obesity either alone or in combination.
Today in AP alone, nearly 9000 people are undergoing heart surgeries annually and in India more than a lakh are undergoing heart surgeries.
Taken together, the estimated prevalence of heart failure due to CHD, HTN, diabetes, and RHD alone in 2000 ranges from 879,000 – 3.8 million, with an annual incidence ranging from 311,600 -1.5 million. Both estimates are projected to rise and do not account for other causes of heart failure such as alcoholic, familial, and idiopathic cardiomyopathies. These prevalence estimates remain lower than estimates in the US (5.8 million), but the projected incidence rates and subsequent morbidity and mortality raise concerns. Unless preventive measures are taken at political, community and individual levels, the epidemic of cardi0-vascular diseases is going to surpass the other epidemicsproblems in our country like AIDS and accidents.
-PTI