68 percent Delhi women at risk of cardiovascular diseases

Over 68 percent of women above the age of 35 years in Delhi are at the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), revealed a survey report Thursday.

The three-year-long survey named Saffola Life, which is India's largest study on risk factors causing heart diseases, said that Indian women are more at risk of heart diseases today than three years ago.

According to the report, obesity, a factor closely associated with heart diseases, is highest among women above 35 years of age in Delhi.

The study was conducted in twelve leading metro and non-metro cities of India covering 1.6 lakh urban Indians. While 32 percent of the respondents were female, 92 percent of all female respondents were less than 60 years of age.

"Cardiovascular diseases in women are caused due to low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and high body mass index (BMI). Apart from this smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure are other reasons putting women at risk of cardiovascular diseases," said Praveen Chandra, chairman of Interventional Cardiology at Medanta - The Medicity, citing the report.

He said that sedentary lifestyles, stressful work conditions and compromised diet also contribute in accelerating heart disease risk.

"It is alarming to note that women aged 35-44, which includes both housewives and working women, are at the greatest risk of cardiovascular disease," Chandra said.

The report also stated that Delhi has the second highest percentage of women smokers in the country and this is one of the prime factors that is putting women at the risk of CVD.

Other findings of the report reveal that women in metro cities are not making their nutritional needs a priority which again puts them at risk of CVD.

Charu Dua, chief dietician, Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital said: "High saturated fat, sugar and salt intake, rising stress levels, smoking and lack of physical activity are a few of the major contributory factors for deterioration of heart health in women".

"In terms of the dietary aspects - 68 percent of the Delhiites consume less than two servings of whole grains in a day and 43 percent consume less than two servings of vegetables a day," she said.