State tops in coronary heart diseases

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Thiruvananthapuram: The prevalence of coronary artery diseases in Kerala is 14 percent, much higher than that in other states, according to Dr C.G. Bahuleyan, leading cardiologist. He was speaking to reporters ahead of the three-day 20th annual national conference of Indian College of Cardiology being held at Kovalam from Friday. 
He said: “The main culprits are change in lifestyle, food habits and lack of exercises. The frozen and processed food which is slowly getting out of the western market is gaining popularity here.”
He added that in the western countries about 25  to 35 percent of these diseases could be prevented due to change in food habits. The consumption of processed, fried and oily food and red meat should be reduced and fruits, vegetables and fish should be included in the diet. “The culture of group exercise has not caught up here. The idea of exercise should be inculcated among people right from school days,” he said.
Dr Prathap Kumar, Intervention cardiologist, said that the statistics are based on multiple epidemiological studies done in the health sector in Kerala and other states.
“Our genetics plays a major role. It was earlier said that in the Indian population heart diseases are a decade earlier compared to the westerners. Now the condition is such that people above 25 years of age, if they have other risk factors,  are at a higher risk of the disease. We get patients as young as 20 years,” he said.
Compared to other places the prevalence of the disease among women is higher in our state.  There is not much difference between the statistics in rural and urban Kerala.