Rising mortality

A startling study published recently revealed that from 1990 to 2013, health loss among men due to this disease increased by 79.9 <g data-gr-id="66">per cent</g>, while among women, the loss increased by 69 <g data-gr-id="67">per cent</g> during the same period.A study published in <g data-gr-id="75">international</g> journal The Lancet, on August 27, revealed some startling figures. The study was conducted by an international consortium of researchers working on Global Burden of Disease (GBD). The researchers include those from Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study observed that India has shown remarkable progress in increasing life expectancy at birth, but the progress has been slow in quality of life. 

The study calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for each disease; a mark of <g data-gr-id="72">quality</g> of life till a person is alive, called the health loss.Ischemic heart disease relates to <g data-gr-id="71">insufficient</g> supply of blood to the heart which is due to obstruction of the inflow of blood to the heart by the narrowing of arteries or due to some disease.There has been an increase in the number of cases of <g data-gr-id="69">heart related</g> illness in India in the last few years which is a worrying sign. A lot of young adults are now getting victims of <g data-gr-id="41">heart related</g> disease which earlier was confined to the elder generation.

The possible causes of this trend can be diet related: The changing pattern of eating is related to heart diseases. Consuming more oil and trans-fat containing <g data-gr-id="57">foods,neglecting</g> vegetables, fruits in the diet makes people vulnerable. Smoking and alcohol: more people are getting addicted to smoking and alcohol which increase the chances of heart diseases.Lack of exercise: Neglecting physical exercise, using motor vehicles for commuting makes the body weak and prone to illness. Lifestyle: excessive work and personal stress weakens the heart and makes people ill.The consequences of this trend are. A gradual loss of health. Loss of productive time which could have been spent for fruitful work.Increased expenditure on medical treatments. India losing out on its health demographic dividend. 

The family members also get mentally affected if someone gets sick which affects their productivity. We need to have a balanced lifestyle and manage our daily affairs in a naturalistic way in order to save ourselves from such <g data-gr-id="65">anillness</g>. Regular exercise and <g data-gr-id="56">healthy</g> diet can help us in preventing heart diseases.Life expectancy in India increased by 6.9 years for men between 1990 and 2013 and 10.3 years for women in the same period. But healthy life expectancy increased by less: men gained 6.4 years and women gained 8.9 years. Life expectancy for women in India still outpaces that of men, 68.5 years compared to 64.2 years. 

The study was conducted for 306 diseases in 188 countries. It said that due to marked declines in death and illness caused by HIV/AIDS and malaria in the past decade and advances made in addressing communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, health has improved significantly around the world. Global life expectancy at birth for both sexes rose by 6.2 years (from 65.3 in 1990 to 71.5 in 2013), while healthy life expectancy at birth rose by 5.4 years (from 56.9 in 1990 to 62.3 in 2013). Diseases of <g data-gr-id="60">brain</g> are other cause of concern. While health loss men among increased by 59.8 <g data-gr-id="61">per cent</g> between 1990 and 2013, it increased by 36.8 <g data-gr-id="62">per cent</g> among women. 

Diseases related to mental health have also seen a spike. While a growing concern among men is self-harm, that increased by as high as 149.9 <g data-gr-id="63">per cent</g> from 1990 to 2013, depressive disorders among women increased by 66.1 <g data-gr-id="64">per cent</g> during the same period. Young people in India now risk a heart problem other than the one normally associated with youth. A study released Thursday in Delhi shows <g data-gr-id="54">disturbing</g> trend of increasing proportion of young adults among patients of coronary artery disease (CAD).