The World Health Organization (WHO), in association with the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, has initiated a project among the industrial workers in ten major cities in the country to study the factors including stress that cause diabetics and cardio vascular diseases.

The project 'Sentinel Surveillance System for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in Indian Industrial Population' will analyze the prevalence and incidence of diabetes and CVD, risk factors, mortality, morbidity etc among a sample of industrial workers in the selected cities for a period of ten years. The study will also consider factors like the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases in the developing countries, changes in lifestyle from tradition to modern with physical inactivity, consumption of diets rich in fats, sugar and calories, increased mental stress etc.

While Dr. K S Srinath Reddy of AIIMS is the national coordinator for the project, Dr. V Mohan, chairman M.V. Diabetes Specialties Center (MVDSC), Chennai and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) is the Principal Investigator for the Chennai project, co-ordinated by Shanthi Rani of MDRF. The project in Chennai also involves a nutritional study, informed MVDSC sources.

In Chennai, the project is being carried out in the Indian Airlines housing colonies. The first phase of the project has been carried out to know the prevalence of diabetes, blood pressure and CVD among 486 employees of IA.

In the second phase, health education on life style diseases is being imparted to the workers of IA. This includes film screening on harmful side effects of tobacco and smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, healthy eating habits, importance of physical activities and exercises etc. The awareness programme also involves importance of early diagnosis and prevention of diabetes and CVDs through changes in lifestyle, regular exercise and cessation of smoking etc, said the sources.