Hyderabad 28 August : Insufficient control of diabetes and a lifestyle that is sedentary and overweight are the main reasons of heart attacks in Indians as revealed by an investigation study.The control of these risk factors is just as important as conventional risk factors.
The large study,’metabolic risk factors in the first acute coronary syndrome’ (MERIFACSA), addressing the issue of risk factors in the Indian population was published in the Indian Heart Journal.
The study, which was conducted by a group of researchers from across the nation headed by the principal investigator senior cardiologist Dr B.Hygriv Rao from KIMS hospital in Hyderabad included 15 large tertiary cardiology centers located from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram.
Over the course of 2 years 2153 patients were enrolled and were compared with 1,200 controls.
The patients recruited came from various economic strata and included rural as well as urban populations.
The average age of the patients was 56 yearsold, and 76 percent were males.
It was found out that despite health treatment improving in the past 20 years, a younger people suffer from heart attacks.
As much as 66 percent of males’ heart attacks and 56 percent of females had heart attacks under 60 years old, and 13% of males and one-fourth of females suffered heart attacks that were less than 50 years old and 10% of heart attacks happened in the first 40 years of age.
It is widely known that smoking as well as diabetes, hypertension as well as high LDL cholesterol are all risk factors for heart attacks.As expected, 93 percent of patients were affected by the risk factors.
Additional risk factors are also known to be important , but not considered as important.These include being overweight (high body mass index and excessive waist hip ratio) and poor control of diabetes and high triglycerides and HBA1C, as well as sedentary lifestyle (HDL).
These conditions were observed in more than 95 percent of people with heart attacks.
The study revealed that the control of these risk factors is just as important as traditional risk factors.
One-third of participants had HBA1C in the pre-diabetes range (6-6.5) This suggests that preventive measures to prevent heart attacks should be taken before the clinical signs of diabetes begin.The study emphasizes that in order to avoid heart attacks in India prevention of obesity, controlling diabetes with a high degree of intensity and exercising regularly are essential.
“Obesity and sedentary lifestyles as well as the absence of effective treatment of diabetes is a significant gap in the prevention of heart attacks in India.
Risk factor modification practices by physicians in India is not enough unless these issues are addressed on an extensive in scale” claimed Hygriv Rao.
On an individual level it is essential to adhere to an appropriate diet and engage in regularly exercise in order to prevent becoming overweight (target Body mass Index 23-25 and waist-hip index less than 0.9.Also, annual cholesterol profile and screening for diabetes with HBA1C.For those with diabetes should have HBA1C levels less than 7.Since heart attacks are more common in the population that is younger These preventive measures should be taken as early as twenty years of age.
Specific measures at a national level include large-scale screening program for the population to detect the presence of diabetes through assessing HBA1CA more than blood sugar by itself and to encourage patients to take action to reach a score less than 7 in the diabetic population.To educate the public about the importance of eating a healthy diet and exercise routine to avoid overweight and to increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL).
.
