Indians are at high risk of coronary heart disease with a majority of people above the age of 30 years having alarmingly high cholesterol levels, according to a pan-India survey, conducted by Metropolis Healthcare Pvt Ltd ahead of the ‘World Heart Day’.

The survey covered major cities and were divided into four zones namely North, South, East and West. Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Surat in the West Zone, Delhi in the North zone, Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Thrissur in the Southern zone and Kolkata in the East zone. The survey screened 35,566 people, and found that other than the genetic factor, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are the main factors for Indians being prone to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

The survey found Delhi accountable for a large number of young people with high risk of coronary artery diseases followed by Bangalore and Mumbai. In Delhi, a large percentage of the total 5,721 respondents who are men and women aged between 30 years and 40 years, were found in the highest risk group for heart disease. This was followed by Bangalore and Mumbai where it has found to have the highest number of young people at a high risk of CAD. In both the cities, men above 30 years and women above 50 years were found to be at a high risk of CAD. Similarly, in Chennai men above 30 and women above 60 were at a greater risk of CAD while in Kolkata men above 40 and women above 60 were at a higher risk of CAD.

Survey findings show that this unhealthy trend is a direct result of a combination of over-eating, junk food and sedentary lifestyle. A fairly substantial number of youngsters we examined during the survey have already showed the first signs of the onset of a heart ailment — hyper cholesterol and hypertension. The findings of the survey clearly reflect a dangerous trend.

Individuals have become more aware of the fact that heart disease is not just a disease of the elderly and are now a lot more determined to go a long-way in combating this disease. Calling for regular screening of unhealthy cholesterol and lipid levels, researchers at Metropolis said surveys such as the one conducted would help identify people who are at a greater risk of heart disease.

Metropolis Healthcare Ltd is India’s only multinational chain of diagnostic centres across India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, South Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal and Mauritius. It provides around 4000 specialized tests under a single roof ranging from oncology to genetics, molecular biology and immunoassays using best-of-breed and latest diagnostic equipment. Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm, has recently invested up to $85 million into Metropolis.