Indians Are More Prone To Lifestyle Diseases

Indians are at high risk of lifestyle diseases, a blood sample survey released here shows.

The survey, based on blood samples of 535 women and 735 men, has revealed that Indians are more prone to diseases such as heart ailments, asthma, cancers, nervous and circulatory disorders, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

The survey was carried out recently by Metropolis Health Services, India's largest chain of diagnostic centres.

"Today's lifestyles can lead to a number of diseases, which are preventable and that is possible only through regular health check-ups," P. Srinivasan, Motropolis medical director, told IANS.

"Most people do not get themselves screened either because they are ignorant... While others prefer to stay ignorant of the state of their body," he said.

The survey showed that improper lifestyles lead to diabetes and related vascular, cardiac and neurological problems and that regular health check-ups allow for early diagnosis and treatment.

India has the most number of diabetic patients in the world, as many as 30 million, and it is growing by the day. People who have diabetes are two to four times as likely to develop heart disease, compared to those who don't have diabetes, says the study.

The World Health organisation predicts that by 2010 India will have 100 million heart patients.

The survey showed 31.5 percent of women and 27 percent of men had high cholesterol levels. It also showed that 30.5 percent of the women and 25.17 percent of the men had low haemoglobin levels.

As many as 2.8 percent of the women who participated in the survey had low Vitamin D levels. It also revealed high incidence of fasting blood glucose levels. v "The situation is alarming, because despite such widely available information, most people are reluctant to have periodic health screens," an expert from Metropolis said.

"The quality of one's life is in one's own hands. By taking a proactive approach to health care, one can ward off disease and fight the rising cost of medical treatment," the Metropolise study report said.

--IANS