Study shows heart diseases on the rise among BPL families – The Hindu

Are coronary heart diseases on the rise among below poverty line (BPL) families in Karnataka? A study by researchers of the University of Mysore says the diseases are indeed increasing and the worrying trend needs to be studied in detail, finding out reasons for the rise and helping families prevent them.

The study was done by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) based on the 10-year data sourced from the Karnataka Suvarna Suraksha Arogya Trust (R), Bengaluru.

Between 2010 and 2020, about 1,25,574 people belonging to BPL families were treated for various heart-related ailments with about 1,12,018 treated for coronary heart diseases. Myocardial infarction and valvotomy were the second and third common heart-related issues faced by BPL families, as per the data from the Suraksha Arogya Trust. Treatment was available under the government scheme.

D.C. Nanjunda, associate professor, CSSEIP, and his team conducted the study with support from Dr. Amith Kumar Mishra from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Chhattisgarh, and Dr. K.C. Srivatsa, Mysuru-based physician, in 2020-21.

We had to interpret and compile the government data as per our requirement to find out how many of them had heart problems. The study showed 53% men and 37% women suffered from coronary heart diseases. Bengaluru urban showed the highest cases of coronary heart diseases in the district category, while Kalaburagi taluk had the highest cases of coronary diseases in the taluk category, said Mr. Nanjunda.

The study showed no significant variance among men and women on the occurrence of cardiac arrest as 47% women and 53% men suffered cardiac arrest during the period. Data showed Kalaburagi had the highest cases of cardiac arrest, based on treatment availed.

The socio-economic status, health exclusion, health inequalities, food habits, and poverty-related stress have been commonly noticed among most BPL families and they could be attributed to the rise in heart ailments. Patients from rural areas with low socio-economic status face more hurdles for cardiac care than their counterparts in urban areas, claimed Mr. Nanjunda.

The research team is also studying the occurrence of other high-risk diseases among BPL families and it is expected to bring out a complete report by June next year. We have done the study on heart ailments and are now studying cancer, kidney ailments, neurological disorders, and congenital diseases. The findings will be compiled and submitted to the government next year after publishing it in a journal, for early interventions, he told The Hindu.

The study aims at throwing light on why the diseases are increasing among the BPL families and the contributing factors so that the government could help them take preventive measures, improving their health standards, he added.

The study was coordinated by Ramachandra Murthy, Prema Kumar, Lancy DSouza, V.G Siddarajau, Ramesh Ranagappa, and H.S Yogesh.

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Study shows heart diseases on the rise among BPL families - The Hindu