Consume more fruits, vegetables and keep coronary artery disease at bay

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Coronary artery disease (CAD) in Indians below 30
years is mainly due to inadequate consumption of fruits, vegetable
salads and foods rich in folate and vitamin B 12 rather than mutations
in certain genes.

A team of city researchers has found that a majority of young heart
patients examined as part of the study consumed inadequate quantity of
fruits and salads and foods fortified with vitamin B12 and folate or
folic acid.

When their genetic makeup was studied to find out whether any mutation
in genes was responsible for CAD, only a few patients showed such
mutation. A majority of the young heart patients studied had no
genetic mutations, and yet they got coronary artery disease mainly
because of low intake of B12 and folate-rich foods, particularly
vegetables and fruits.

The team comprised doctors from the Institute of Genetics and Hospital
for Genetic Diseases, Apollo Hospital, Care Hospital and Gandhi
Hospital. Coronary artery disease is linked to high levels of an amino
acid (homocysteine) and this is linked to mutations in genes known as
MTHFR and MS. But in 100 young heart patients examined, only a handful
had the mutation, while a majority of them had low levels of B12 and
folate. The quantum of homocysteine also goes up if dietary intake of
B12 and folate is insufficient. Smoking, intake of tobacco products
and lack of physical exercise added to the problem.

Young Indians are three times at higher risk of heart diseases than
people living in the West. "Though high levels of homocysteine have
been widely linked to the early onset of heart diseases in other
populations, a definite proof among Indians is lacking," the team
pointed out adding that high levels of this amino acid is linked
mainly to the diet rather than the genes.

The study gains significance as about 25 per cent of heart attacks
among men and women in India occur when they are younger than 40.
"This is unheard of in other populations," the researchers observed.
They said prolonged cooking and frying of vegetables results in loss
of 90 per cent of folate content.

Heart Diseases: Aping the West proves costly for people in Andhra Pradesh

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: Aping the West in food and lifestyle is proving to be dear to people in Andhra Pradesh with heart diseases linked to food habits emerging as the leading cause of death.
According to a recent survey published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, ischemic heart disease characterised by reduced blood supply to the heart has been killing 13.21 per cent of people in Andhra Pradesh. It is the cause of death in 12.2 per cent of women and 14.08 per cent of men.
Incidentally ischemic heart disease tops the 10 important causes of death in people of the State.
Doctors link the disease to smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, excessive use of hydrogenated fats (vanaspathi) and foods containing high cholesterol levels. So far, ischemic heart disease has been the major cause of death in the US and Europe. That it has emerged as the top killer in Andhra Pradesh is a cause for concern, says senior cardiologist Dr PC Rath.
In patients suffering from ischemic heart disease the flow of blood to the heart is obstructed and thus the heart is deprived of oxygen. This leads to death if not attended to immediately. According to Dr Rath, a little change in lifestyle and food habits will help in controlling cardiovascular diseases.
Cerebrovascular disease (bleeding in brain or cutting supply of blood or oxygen to the brain) is the second leading cause of death in Andhra Pradesh, though it is the third leading cause of death in the West. Cancer or malignancy, which is the second leading cause of death in the West, is incidentally the 10th cause of death in Andhra Pradesh.
While lower respiratory (lung) infections is the third over all leading killer in the State, diarrhoeal diseases occupy the third position in case of women and tuberculosis in case of men. Self-inflected injury is the seventh leading killer both among men and women while asthma and stomach cancer is the eighth major cause of death among men and women respectively, according to the CBHI report.
Road accidents occupy the 10th slot in case of men and dementia (group of disorders relating to brain) is the 10th cause of deaths among women. Cirrhosis of the liver is the cause of 2.19 per cent of deaths among men but incidentally it is absent among women. Cirrhosis is linked to alcohol.
Women tend to be more prone to unintentional injuries than men. Statistics show that 4.09 per cent of deaths in women and 3.81 per cent of deaths in men are attributed to unintentional injuries.

Heart diseases are responsible for about one-third of all deaths in rural India

2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Oct 3: Heart diseases are responsible for about one-third of all deaths in rural India while only 13 per cent of deaths are related to accidents including suicide.
An international research study conducted jointly by the George Institute for International Health and the University of Queensland revealed that heart related problems constituted the "major killer" of human beings in the countryside. The findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology and the research was carried out in East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh. The study emphasised the need for India to improve its health services besides creating new health avenues to fight against chronic ailments.
While the incidence of diseases related to heart are on the rise in the country, interestingly enough cases of infectious diseases are on the decline. This, according to the study, is the result of change in social and economic scenario in villages.
The study pointed out that death from injury, both accidents and self-inflicted as in suicide, was the second most common cause of death in rural India contributing to 13 per cent of total deaths. Infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, intestinal infections and HIV/AIDS, are responsible for 12 per cent of deaths, while cancer is contributing to 7 per cent of deaths.
According to Dr Rohina Joshi, the data on the causes of death is an indicator of the health problems now facing the rural India. The spurt in heart related diseases is linked to high rate of smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure among villagers.
The study was conducted in 45 villages spread over East and West Godavari districts covering a total population of 1.80 lakh.

Indians suffer from cardiac ailments 10 years earlier

2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 22: Indians suffer from cardiac ailments 10 years before people of other countries develop them. And if the World Health Organisation report is any indication, about 60 per cent of all heart patients in the world will be in India in the next six years.
A research study has now been taken up to find out the reasons for the high prevalence of heart diseases in Asian countries, particularly India. Scientists and researchers have thus far been baffled by the mystery behind heart attacks in people who are not bracketed under high risk groups and who do not have "social vices" like smoking and drinking.
Apollo Hospitals have tied up with John Hopkins to identify the causes responsible for cardiac risk among Indians. The study will find out whether a particular gene is behind heart attacks.
Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy told reporters here on Friday said there was possibly a genetic predisposition to heart diseases among Indian, but the precise cause was still elusive.
"Risk factors that are often associated with heart diseases like hypertension, smoking, high total serum cholesterol and high fat diet do not seem to fully account for the high incidence of the disease in Indians. The disease process also differs in Indians as the coronary vessels are diffusely affected while in other ethnic groups the coronary arteries are more discretely affected. High incidence of diabetes and low levels of good cholesterol with high levels of triglycerides may partially address the high risk of heart diseases in Indians but there is something beyond," Dr Reddy pointed out.