The rise in number of patients and deaths because of cardiovascular conditions is alarming. These include conditions like disorders of the guts and blood vessels, including coronary cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and congenital heart condition among others. per the planet Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 17.9 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. India specifically reported 63% of total deaths thanks to non-communicable diseases in 2016, 27% of which were attributed to cardiovascular diseases. And other studies also corroborate this distressing trend. The results of the world Burden of Disease study state that age-standardised disorder death rate of 272 per 100000 population in India is way above that of world average of 235. Hence, there’s enough and more data pointing at the cardiovascular burden of India, and why there’s a requirement to urgently address it.
But before discussing the measures to deal with cardiovascular diseases in India, let’s understand the risks and symptoms one should remember of during this context. Widely known factors like smoking and obesity are related to increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Indians. INTERHEART study has also outlined nine common risk factors including physical inactivity, low fruits and vegetable intake and psychosocial stress. Health conditions like high vital sign, unhealthy blood cholesterol levels and diabetes also increase the danger for heart diseases. While these are all well-known factors causing cardiovascular dysfunction, it’s critical to notice that the general burden of the traditional risk factors is on rapid increase within the Indian population.
While these are some risk factors which one should steer away from to avoid contracting cardiovascular diseases, it’s also important to know the warning signs of heart condition. the center Failure Society of America has developed a handy tool called FACES that may help doctors and patients identify possible failure symptoms. FACES stands for fatigue, activity limitation, congestion, Edema or ankle swelling and shortness of breath. another symptoms include persistent coughing or wheezing, lack of appetite or nausea, impaired thinking and increases pulse. While these are some critical warning signs to spot early onset of heart conditions, they’re not exhaustive or mutually exclusive in any way. Hence, it’s always advisable to regularly monitor the guts health and consult a cardiologist for expert consultation and advice.
