Vijayawada beats Mumbai in diabetes awareness

Vijayawada: According to a study conducted across India, it is revealed that 38 per cent of Indians who believe they are healthy have been found suffering from diabetes, while another 28 percent healthy individuals have been diagnosed with pre-diabetics based on their HbA1c levels. Hence, two-third are either having CVD risk or risk-prone.

In view of the growing numbers of heart and diabetes risk across different age groups in India, a study was conducted in the cities like Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nasik, which are tier 1 or tier 2 cities in the country.

Vijayawada is considered as tier-2 city and Mumbai is considered as tier-1 city. The study titled, 'Making India Heart Strong Survey', is a two-part study comprising questionnaire-based interviews and HbA1c (Average Glucose level) and lipid profile tests, conducted to understand perception of people towards heart health versus actual numbers of people at heart risk. Certain parameters like HDL and Triglycerides were also measured as they play a key role in defining Indians' health due to their staple food habits and food choices.

The responses from 600 individuals from 6 cities across four states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) were recorded to evaluate Indians' awareness levels around CVD risk assessment and relationship between their work/lifestyle, habits.

Fifty percent Indians are unaware that diabetes and obesity are the most closely associated risk factors with heart diseases. A whopping 88 per cent do not know that high cholesterol may lead to heart disease.

Surprisingly, Mumbai even being a top metro city ranks lowest (14 percent) in terms of awareness towards the association between diabetes and heart diseases.

On the contrary, Hyderabad (45per cent) followed by Vijayawada (43 per cent) appears to be most aware. The survey shows that only a small fraction of Indians (10 per cent) knows that hardening of arteries fall under the umbrella of heart diseases.

"So, it is time we pay attention towards our lifestyle to prevent our risk of developing such diseases," says Dr P Raghuram, Cardiologist, Ayush Hospitals, Vijayawada.

"Prevalence of hardening of arteries is on the rise, particularly in younger population owing to the changes in their lifestyle and food habits. Research studies show that coronary stenosis, which is associated with hardening of arteries, affects nearly 30 per cent population," said Dr Raghuram.

The findings are significant in view that people with diabetes are known to have a two to four times increased risk of coronary arterial disease (CAD). CAD has also been reported to occur two to three decades earlier in diabetic subjects as opposed to their non-diabetic counterparts.

Dr Venugopal Reddy, Diabetologist, Vijayawada, said Indians are also ignorant of risks associated with high blood pressure as 50 per cent respondents do not see high BP as the biggest risk factor for heart disease. He further said it is important to understand that diabetes has no cure. But it can be managed or kept in check with a right combination of healthy foods and regular physical activity. And, remember it's going to be a lifetime regimen, says the doctor.