‘Average age of heart patients in India down to 52 years’

LUCKNOW: Tobacco packs in India were to have stronger pictorial health warnings from April 1, 2015, but this has been delayed. The committee looking into this issue told the government that the data linking tobacco use to deadly diseases was from foreign countries and called for more studies to be done in India.

Vote For Health campaign, Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) strongly disagree with this delay, saying there is plethora of evidence linking tobacco use to life-threatening diseases. According to them, tobacco use is a major preventable cause of death.

“Tobacco use is one of the common risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Indian data shows that the average age of a heart patient in India has come down to 52 years. In developed countries like the US, the average age is much higher - in the seventies. Clearly, Indians get hit by heart disease earlier,” said Rishi Sethi, department of Cardiology, KGMU.

He had compiled intervention cardiology data in 2013, according to which there was a 30% increase in the number of lifesaving angioplasty procedures and pacemaker implantations in UP compared to the data of the previous year.

“Despite conclusive evidence, few tobacco users understand

TOBACCO USE IS ONE OF THE COMMON RISK FACTORS FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. DATA SHOWS THAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF A HEART PATIENT HAS COME DOWN TO 52 YRS RISHI SETHI, department of Cardiology, KGMU

health risk. Studies show that graphic warnings on tobacco packs deter tobacco use, particularly in countries like India, where literacy rates are alarmingly low,” said Prof Rama Kant, WHO director-general’s awardee who had established Tobacco Cessation Clinic at KGMU.

“There are ample examples where tobacco industry has denied or casted a doubt on mountain of strong evidence linking tobacco to life-threatening diseases, disabilities and deaths globally,” said Rahul Dwivedi, Director of Vote For Health campaign.