Heart attacks most prevalent in India

It’s quite an alarming piece of news. According to a study conducted by Indian and Canadian researchers, more than 60% of patients suffering from heart diseases in the whole world will be from India by 2010. The study, published in the famed peer-reviewed journal The Lancet has set off alarm bells in the medical community in India, as well as the common man over 30! With stress levels increasing and life becoming faster and full of junk food, all of us are exposed to the risk of suffering from a heart attack. In fact, the report also points out that the average age of suffering from such disorders is also reducing. After conducting a study on more than 20000 volunteers, the researchers conclude, “Patients in India who have acute coronary syndromes have a higher rate of STEMI than do patients in developed countries. Since most of these patients were poor, less likely to get evidence-based treatments, and had greater 30-day mortality, reduction of delays in access to hospital and provision of affordable treatments could reduce morbidity and mortality.” In other words, the researchers say that our lifestyle contributes to an increased risk of suffering from heart attacks and the lack of access to easy medical care makes chances of survival even more difficult. The study even says that after suffering from a heart attack, most of us do not avail of an ambulance to go to the hospital. Most of the cases they studied had patients being transported in auto rickshaws, cars and in some cases even by carts. This led to most patients' situation worsening even before they could be administered the basic care. One feels, the stress we have in our day to live, along with accessibility issues to basic healthcare, it is not abnormal that such results are coming from studies. More than anything else, I guess it is time we stayed updated about heart disorders. Check out Web MD's Heart Disease Health Center for some good advice on how to take care of yourself.