Punjab populace more hypertensive than the nation: NFHS Survey

When the national average is 25.3% in terms of hypertension prevalence, Punjab is shooting up at 35.7%. As per National Family Health Survey that was conducted in 2020-2021, it is clear that Punjab is the only state where the populace is more prone to hypertension than any other state in India. All thanks to trans fat and the lifestyle of Punjabis makes them easy victims of cardiovascular diseases.

The Daily Guardian spoke to the Community Medicine Professor Dr Sonu Goel on this. Dr Goel exhorted that it has been concluded in many surveys including the NFHS survey that trans fat is an invariable component of industrial fat and one of the major dietary factors associated with cardiovascular disease mortality, increasing the risk of heart disease by 21% and deaths by 28%. Many in the early age group of 35 to 50 years in Punjab have become victims of uncontrolled high blood pressure, says Dr Goel.

“It’s being seen in people with a family history of premature chronic heart disease or stroke and a raised triglyceride level. Besides this, modifiable risk factors include unhealthy diets, excessive salt consumption, a diet high in saturated fats and trans fats, and low intake of fruits and vegetables,” says Dr Goel.

“Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the most found cause of disease burden. In recent years, the rising burden of cardiovascular diseases and high disease severity has been one of the significant threats in low-income and middle-income countries compared with high-income countries. People who are young believe in the myth that heart attacks can occur only in old age. They should wake up and adopt a healthy lifestyle at the earliest. One should give at least one hour to physical activity and make sure not to ignore the body’s signals,” he adds.

There has been an increase in the rate of coronary artery disease (CAD) in India in the last three decades.

A study published by the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research in 2016 states that Indians have three, six, and twenty times greater risk of hypertension than Americans, Chinese, and Japanese populations respectively. “It is a matter of concern and there is a requirement to identify the factors responsible for its increasing prevalence, concludes Dr Goel.

Punjab is the only state where the populace is more prone to hypertension than any other state in India.