60 pc of urban women are at risk of heart disease: Study

More than 60 per cent of urban Indian women in the age group of 30-45 years are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), with 89 per cent of risk-prone women in Mumbai falling in the overweight/obese category, Saffolalife Study 2015 said here.
In an initiative aimed at identifying risk factors associated with poor heart health among Indian women, the study has revealed that 80 per cent of women in Mumbai with a body mass index (BMI) over normal are at risk of heart diseases and nearly 78 per cent of them have increased belly fat.
As compared to eastern India, a higher proportion of women in Mumbai were found to be at risk of getting CVDs. 78 per cent of women in Mumbai at risk of being affected by CVDs have reported increased belly fat, indicating that apple-shaped women are at risk of getting heart diseases. 34 per cent of Mumbai women at risk of being affected by CVDs have large waistlines, the study said.

As for food habits, it was found that a majority of women in Mumbai (86 per cent) who have greater risk of getting CVDs consume preserved foods thrice a week. With food like cheese, food rich in trans fats, 64 per cent of such high-risk category women consume them twice a week, while 63 per cent consume fried foods thrice a week.
Despite the much-maligned role of sweetened beverages in raising the risk of getting heart diseases, 55% of women in Mumbai within this high-risk category consume sweetened beverages twice a week. Additionally, of the total women at risk, 23 per cent eat late dinners, it emerged.

The Saffolalife study 2015 was conducted in 10 leading metro and non-metro cities across the country. The study saw participation by 1,299 urban Indian females in the age group of 30-45 years. The data collated from the study was analyzed by IMRB International.
Dr Brain Pinto, Chief of Cardiology at Holy Family Hospital, said, "Cardiovascular diseases in women are slowly gaining epidemic proportions due to high LDL levels and BMI over normal. Moreover, changing food habits and unhealthy food choices, such as increased intake of food like cheese, food rich in trans fats and late dinners, are leading to increased abdominal obesity and increased waist-to-hip ratio, which is a major risk factor for heart diseases."

In addition, smoking, low levels of physical activity, diabetes, high BP and other lifestyle factors are responsible for fat redistribution in women, while accelerating their risk of CVDs, Pinto said.