70% Mumbaikars not young at heart

You may not be as hale and hearty as you think. Data collected over the last two years, as part of the largest ongoing study of over 1 lakh respondents in 12 metropolitan cities of the country, reveal that 70% of Mumbaikars are at a risk of  developing a cardiovascular disease (CVD). What has set the alarm bells ringing is that most of these fall within the age group of 30-44.

Experts say even a young person’s heart can ‘age’ quickly due to one’s lifestyle that brings about a change on the levels of cholesterol or blood sugar in the body such as eating fried and packaged food more frequently than whole grains-based food and vegetables. Gender, too, plays a role in such an ageing process.
Even as 47% of the city’s population was found to be obese, with a body mass index (BMI) above 25, close to 23% figured in the overweight category (with a BMI of more than 23). A BMI of 18.5 to 25 indicates optimal weight.

Close to 54% of respondents from Mumbai has startlingly low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good cholesterol’ that facilitates the carrying of fats in the blood stream to the liver and intestines for effective excretion or re-utilisation and, thus, prevents the accumulation of fatty deposits in the body.

The study had found that incidences of obesity and low ‘good’ cholesterol levels, which makes one vulnerable to CVDs, are more common in people aged 30 to 44.

“The city’s productive workforce is vulnerable to CVDs as shown by the levels of high cholesterol and BMI levels of the youngest age group bracket respondents,” said Dr Akshay Mehta, interventional cardiologist at Breach Candy Hospital.

The study blamed such poor heart health on the failure to take in healthier food. At least 51% of Mumbai’s population consumes less than one serving of vegetables and salad a day, it found.

“Close to 72% of Mumbaikars eat not more than two types of whole grains a day. There are a multitude of grains, including barley, rye, jowar and bajra, which essential components that are left out of the city slicker’s diet,” said Salome Benjamin, consultant nutritionist.

Further, the study claims that one in six persons smokes, which, doctors say, is a precipitating factor for a deteriorating heart. “A high dependence on processed foods with a menu devoid of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, in addition to smoking, is the perfect recipe for an impending heart disease,” added Benjamin.
The survey was conducted over the Internet by Marico Industries’ as a non-profit self-intervention initiative.