New Delhi, Sept 29: On the occasion of World Heart Day, a new study has raised alarms about India’s growing vulnerability to chronic diseases. While most countries have reported a decline in mortality from illnesses such as cancer and heart disease over the past decade, India is among the few where the chances of dying from these conditions have increased for both men and women.
A Lancet study highlights that the burden of heart disease in India is particularly severe among women. The risk is most pronounced for women above 40 and men over 55. However, women are disproportionately affected, facing a sharper increase in mortality risk compared to men. The probability of an Indian woman dying from a non-communicable disease (NCD) before the age of 80 rose from 46.6% in 2011 to 48.7% in 2019.
Dr. Tarun Kumar, Associate Director and Head at Medanta Moolchand Heart Center.
Dr. Tarun Kumar, Associate Director and Head at Medanta Moolchand Heart Center, said, “Deaths from chronic diseases, including heart disease, are rising rapidly in India. Between 2010 and 2019, the risk of death from non-communicable diseases increased by 2.1% for women and 0.1% for men.”
A separate study by G.B. Pant Hospital revealed another worrying trend: men above 50 years are more prone to heart attacks compared to those suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure. The study, conducted on 5,335 heart attack patients, exposed serious gaps in emergency healthcare. Nearly 79.3% of patients reporting heart attacks were taken to non-specialized hospitals, and fewer than half received angioplasty.
The age profile of patients is equally alarming. About 32% of cases were among younger individuals, with an average age of 41.3 years. Of these, 18.3% were below 35, and 9.5% were women. In older patients, 60% were above 50 years of age, with their average age being 60.5 years, and among them, 20.8% were women.
Lifestyle patterns deepened concerns: three out of four young patients did not engage in physical activity, and half were obese.
The study also examined the crucial “golden hour” of treatment. Only 46.9% of patients managed to reach a hospital within an hour of the attack. Another 18.4% arrived within one to three hours, 20.9% within three to 12 hours, 4.6% within 12 to 24 hours, while 9.2% reached after more than a day.
Even the mode of transportation raised questions about access to emergency care. Nearly 46.4% of patients reached hospitals on their own, 31.2% used public transport, and only 22.4% were brought by ambulance.
Marking World Heart Day, Moolchand Medicity Hospital in Delhi organized a special awareness camp focused on coronary artery disease risk detection and prevention.
Over 120 senior doctors from across the capital participated. The day began at 8:30 a.m. with registration and baseline vital checks, followed by lipid profile testing and advanced coronary calcium scoring. Each participant received an individualized cardiac risk assessment, emphasizing proactive approaches to heart health.
Dr. Tarun Kumar further stressed, “Heart disease affects Indians at a much earlier age than in other ethnic groups, with a significant number of heart attacks occurring in men under 50. Factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are prevalent and on the rise, fueling the burden of heart disease.”
He added that genetics could also be at play: “Studies suggest that Indians may have a predisposition to high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and other inflammatory markers, which increase cardiovascular risk. Compared to other ethnic groups, Indians are hospitalized more frequently for cardiovascular complications.”