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High On World
Congress Agenda
FAST SPREADING CORONARY
ARTERY DISEASE
New Delhi, 19 September 2006
NEW DELHI, September 20 (INFA): The coronary
artery disease that leads to heart attacks has assumed
pandemic proportions the world over. The trend in India is fast increasing, where its
prevalence has increased from 1% in 1960 to 11% in 2001. It is about 15% in the adult population.
The disease is ten times more prevalent in Indians in a
younger 30-40 age group, as compared with their counterparts in other parts of
the world. More concernedly, the disease
is more severe, extensive and diffuse in India. As much as 54% Indians
suffering from it have diffuse three-vessel
disease as compared to about 21% Westerners.
That makes them inadequately suitable for bypass
surgery or angiography.
The seriousness
of the disease would be the main concern of the specialists at the two-day
World Congress on clinical and
preventive cardiology, to be held at Mount
Abu in Rajasthan
from September 22 to 27.
Dr. H.K. Chopra, Organising Chairman of the Conference said
there will be 100% rise in mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) by the
year 2015 as projected by the WHO. The CAD
mortality reduced by 60% in Japan,
Finland, 50% in Australia, Canada
and US and 25% in Western Europe, on the contrary there is a rise of CAD
mortality in India. The bad news is every 6th person
who dies in the world is an Indian. By
2010, 60% of the world heart patients will be Indians. Thus India will be
the world capital of CAD. Every 4th
diabetic in the world is India,
every 2nd women in India
above the age of 50 is obese, hypertensive, diabetic with high risk of CAD.
He said risk of CAD is 4 times higher in India than white Americans, 6 times higher in India than Chinese and 20 times higher in India than
Japanese. “To be an Indian itself is a
risk for coronary artery disease wherever we are” because of genetic
vulnerability and faulty lifestyles including lack of exercise, consumption of
tobacco, higher consumption of junk food, higher levels of stress including cynicism, hostility, anger and negative
competition. Dr. Chopra said that rapid
urbanization, globalization industrialization, demographic and health
transition are the main factors for high prevalence of CAD in India. He categorically said rising trend of CAD in India is adding
not only medical burden but also social and economical burden to our country.
Dr. Chopra is of the firm opinion that prevention is the
only cost effective method to curb the rising menace of CAD in India as a
common man can ill afford the expensive modern tertiary care treatment for CAD. Heart care awareness,
preventive strategies including optimization of lifestyle by regular brisk walk
for 30 min, 20 min of meditation every day, 20 in of yoga and consumption of
fruits, vegetables and nuts every day will keep the CAD away. Regular physical exercise is of a tremendous
clinical importance and reduces the risk coronary heart disease by 40% and
brain attack by 25%.
Regular exercise slow down the narrowing of the artery of
the heart and brain, reduce the blood pressure,
reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, increase nitric oxides,
prevent endothelial dysfunction and maintain blood glucose level. Exercise such
as walking, wagging, jogging, cycling, swimming, skiing, dancing, treadmill are
heart friendly. Complete abstinence of
tobacco consumption is the need of the day.
The specialists are firmly of the opinion that optimization
of lifestyle right form the childhood including regular exercise, yoga,
meditation, more of vegetables, fruits, nuts consumption, complete abstinence
from smoking and tobacco consumption. Nurturing the mind with positive thoughts
and negating cynicism, jealously, hatredness,
anger and hostility will definitely help in curbing the rising menace of
coronary artery disease in India.
They also said that efficacy of Aspirin, Statin and Ramipril as a combination
Polypill for mass consumption will
help the community at large. ---INFA
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