Indian yuppies increasingly courting heart disease

According to the Saffolalife Study 2012, 75% of males in the 30-34 age group are at risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to 57% females, highlighting the risk younger male professionals are running.

The study, which set out to identify the common risk factors that are contributing to India’s soaring rate of heart disease, was compiled over two years, covered 12 cities and questioned more than 11.2 million people from the age of 30 to 100.

It involved researchers finding the lipid profile of respondents and mapping their cholesterol and HDL levels. 

Eating all wrong​

The study found that the main reason for such elevated cardiovascular risk was that Indians are eating all the wrong food and shunning healthy options. 

For example, it found that about 78% of Indians have very low HDL levels, while a massive 74% consume less than two servings of healthy whole grains per day.

In addition, it revealed that at least 54% of Indians are guilty of consuming less than one serving of vegetables and salad per day.

The study also predicted that the number of cardiovascular deaths will rise to 2.5 million in 2020—up from 1.2 million in 1990. A majority of these are likely to be from the productive working age group of 30 to 44.

Everyone at risk​

These findings suggest that a large number of Indians between 30 and 59 years, irrespective of gender, are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. 

The percentage of people at high risk varies between 64% (for people between 30-34 years) to 85% (for people between 54-59 years).

“While the percentage of people at risk of developing CVD is highest in the 70-74 bracket, it is especially significant that 64% and 62% of people in the age brackets of 30-34 years and 35-39 years respectively are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease,”​ the study reported.