Studies over the last 60 years show an alarmingly high rate of coronary heart disease and premature heart disease among Indians.
The trend was first observed among Indians in the late 1950s, but unfortunately little has been done since then to reverse it. We are now witnessing the spread of an epidemic across the South Asian region and India is right in the middle of it.
It is estimated that Indians are nearly four times more susceptible to heart attacks than Caucasians, with 25% of attacks happening to people under the age of 40, unheard of in other populations.
Among urban Indians, incidence of heart problems is 12%, while it’s just 5% in the US. (Wait a minute, isn’t junk food more popular there?)
So, what have we done to deserve this? Is it the lack of regular physical activity? Poor blood cholesterol levels? Poor eating habits? Stress?
The reasons for this are not yet clear, but there are many possibilities. One of them could even be our genetic predisposition to heart diseases, prompting efforts (such as the collaboration between Apollo Hospitals and the US-based health institute John Hopkins) to identify the genes responsible for high cardiac risk among Indians and neutralize them.
So, it seems like we’re born with the problem. But the question is, do we have to live with the problem?
Not anymore, because you are the solution.
Scientific evidence indicates 7 risk factors, which, if addressed, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease – even reverse it!
These are practical, commonsensical ways in which we can keep a disease that claims thousands of Indian lives annually, at bay.
1. Smoking
2 Cholesterol
3 pressure
4. Diabetes
5. Sedentary Lifestyle
6. Unhealthy Eating
7. Stress
Come, take the pledge. It’s good for your heart. It’s also good for someone else’s, as your pledge will ensure one person receives a free heart screening at an Apollo Health Check-up camp., Also, please remember to share your pledge with your friends. This should inspire them to take the pledge themselves, for the fight against heart disease needs all the support it can get.
