With 67.8 million people, India accounts for the second-highest diabetic population in the world. The country also has a CVD death rate of 272 per 100000 population which is higher than the global average of 235.
The number raises an alarming situation, and in the past few years, researchers have also suggested a strong link between heart diseases and diabetes.
- A study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, US states that the conditions share many of the same risks including obesity, high BP, and high cholesterol. It further explains that high blood glucose from diabetes can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels. Over time, this damage can lead to heart disease. People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have heart disease or stroke as adults without diabetes.
In a study on non-diabetic subjects with acute coronary syndrome (heart attack with mean age 55 years), 46% had prediabetes, and 37% had diabetes with only 17% having normal glucose tolerance. (Cardiological Society of India)
A report by Coronary Artery Disease in Asian Indians highlights that a large percentage of diabetic patients in India don’t know that they have the disease and this epidemic is fuelled by a major socio-demographic-nutritional and environmental change in India. Compared with people without diabetes, Indians with diabetes have twice the CVD mortality, and 3-times higher kidney and all-cause mortality.
Dr Jasjeet Singh Wasir, Diabetologist, Medanta states, “People are moving towards urbanization, eating habits are changing towards more calorie-dense food, which increases the risk of diabetes. Very importantly India is a young country and diabetes is afflicting the young population in their prime years.”
On the correlation of diabetes and heart disease, Dr Tilak Suvarna, Asian Heart Institute, states, “There is increased production of cholesterol and triglycerides as a result of insulin resistance in diabetes, leading to atherosclerosis and narrowing of the heart arteries.”
He adds, “Diabetes can also impair heart cell structure and function, leading to an enlarged heart and reduced heart pumping function, a condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy. This condition eventually leads to heart failure. Simple lifestyle measures like regular exercise, a healthy diet can be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes and CVD.”
With changing eating habits, less physical activities, and increasing stress the number of diabetic patients is increasing in India, affecting them at an early age. It is important to make people aware about getting regular check-ups to keep India away from being the Diabetic and Heart capital of the world. And when diagnosed with diabetes, keep making regular visits to the doctor, to maintain optimal weight, keep BP, cholesterol in control and follow a healthy lifestyle which will prove beneficial for any chance of developing heart disease.