Nearly 50% of women in India at risk of heart disease, says survey

New Delhi: Nearly 50 percent of women in India live with an abnormal cholesterol level, an alarming indicator of the risk of their being prone to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), a survey has showed.

The survey by diagnostic chain SRL Diagnostics revealed that 48 per cent women in the age group of 46-60 years had the highest level of abnormality in the lipid profile tests -- the number one cause of death globally and in India.

A lipid profile test measures the amount of cholesterol present in lipid carrier proteins like low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and fats (triglyceride) present in the blood and determines the risk of CVD.

Further, women living in North India (33.11 per cent) and East India (35.67 per cent) had higher abnormal levels of triglycerides while low HDL and high total cholesterol levels were more commonly seen in women living in South India (34.15 per cent) and West India (31.90 per cent).

"In India, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. It's an alarming situation as heart attacks appear differently in women than men and it is more fatal in the post-menopausal women than it is in men," said Avinash Phadke, President Technology and Mentor (Clinical Pathology) from SRL Diagnostics, in a statement, on Thursday.

High saturated fat, sugar and salt intake, very low consumption of vegetables and whole grains leading to obesity, coupled with sedentary lifestyles, rising stress levels and smoking are the major contributory factors for deterioration of heart health in women in India, the survey revealed.

The analysis is based on more than 3.3 million lipid profile tests performed at SRL Labs across India during 2014-2016.

September 29 is World Heart Day.