What is the issue?
Wealthier and more urbanised states tend to face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
What does the data reveal?
- Cardiovascular disease risk varies widely among states.
- Kerala faces the highest risk of CVD at 19.5%.
- Jharkhand has the lowest risk at 13.5%.
- CVD risk is found to be the highest in the Northern, Northeastern and Southern states.
What are the driving factors?
- In the North, Northeast and South, higher body mass index, hypertension, diabetes and smoking prevalence contributed to the risk.
- Socio-economic - There is high variation of risk factors, such as smoking and diabetes.
- This was influenced by adults’ socio-demographic characteristics.
- BMI and blood glucose and blood pressure were associated with wealth and living in an urban area.
- Prevalence of high blood glucose and high BP was high in middle and old age among the poorer groups, and in rural areas.
- Smoking was more common in the poorer groups, in rural areas, and among males.
- It was most prevalent among males in the Northeastern states and West Bengal.
- NCD & CD - Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and communicable diseases (CDs) have an inverse relation.
- E.g. states like Jharkhand have higher prevalence of CDs, while there is a low prevalence of NCD.
- Developed states have a higher NCD burden and lower CD burden.
- Development - Some states are at high risk of CVDs as they are ahead in development and have better healthcare facilities.
- In less developed states like Jharkhand, life expectancy at birth is less than in developed states like Kerala.
- Life expectancy is affected by disease pattern.
- Lifestyle - Lifestyle, dietary patterns and other factors have played a role in the variations.
- Another factor is obesogenic environment which promotes weight gain and is not conducive to weight loss.
- It includes higher urbanisation, walking less, using lift instead of stairs, and easy availability of high-calorie food.
- The data would help in allocating resources to prevent cardiovascular disease to the most in need.
Source: Indian Express
