By IANS,
New Delhi: Changing lifestyle, stress and a poor metabolic profile are making young and middle-aged women more susceptible to heart diseases, a cardiology expert said here Saturday.
“Women were earlier considered to be at a lesser risk of heart diseases. However, with changing times and sedentary lifestyle, their hormonal make-up has also changed which has made them more susceptible to heart diseases,” said V. Hariharan, senior consultant cardiologist at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital here.
“Obesity, use of contraceptives, smoking, stress, unhealthy eating are just some of the causes responsible for heart diseases in men and women,” Hariharan said at the ‘Billion Hearts Beating Campaign’ where school children and college students had gathered to sign for a campaign to spread awareness on heart diseases.
“Women between 15 to 45 years, that is the child-bearing age, are becoming more prone to heart ailments,” added Hariharan.
Students from Delhi University colleges such as Miranda House, Sri Venkateshwara college, Hansraj college, and Hindu college also participated in the campaign.
According to a study by the Centre for Global Health Research, heart ailments are the main reason for deaths in both urban and rural India.
“About 25 percent of deaths in the age group of 25-69 years occurred because of heart disease. In urban areas, 32.8 percent deaths occur because of heart ailments, while this percentage in rural areas is 22.9,” said the study.