Men living in urban areas of India are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with their rural counterparts, according to a new study co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The nationwide study, based on data pooled from more than 797,000 people, found that wealthier and more urbanized Indian states tended to have a higher risk of fatal and nonfatal CVD events. The average 10-year risk for such events varied widely by state, with Jharkhand having the lowest risk at 13.2% and Kerala having the highest risk at 19.5%.
A June 20, 2018 article in Business Standard quoted Pascal Geldsetzer, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Global Health and Population and lead author of the study, which was published in PLOS Medicine.
“CVD risk varied widely among states and we also observed important variation of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as smoking and diabetes, by adults’ sociodemographic characteristics,” Geldsetzer said. “Our findings could be helpful in deciding how to allocate resources to prevent CVD to those most in need.”
Read the Business Standard article: Keralites, urban Indian males more at cardiovascular disease risk: Study
Read the study in PLOS Medicine: Geographic and sociodemographic variation of cardiovascular disease risk in India: A cross-sectional study of 797-540 adults