Chennaiities at high risk of heart disease

Dyslipidemia is a primary and major risk factor for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and may even be a prerequisite for CAD, occurring before other major risk factors come into play. Epidemiologic data also suggest that hypercholesterolemia and perhaps coronary atherosclerosis (when plaque builds up inside arteries of the heart) itself are risk factors for ischemic stroke (that occurs as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain). Medical professionals typically test cholesterol levels through medical check-ups and in order to evaluate total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL-C.

Dr Anita Suryanarayanan, Vice President, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, said, “The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been steadily rising in India. The major factors attributed to this are changes in lifestyle, lack of exercise, consumption of non-nutritious food, increased stress level, smoking and irrational use of tobacco. Prolonged working hours, hectic commute and growing incidence of obesity along with sedentary lifestyle is also one of the reasons for Chennai’s population to be more prone to heart ailments.” 

The general perception is that heart disease is more prevalent in men, but women are equally at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The main contributing factor is unhealthy lifestyle, inappropriate diet and physical inactivity.