Study to help calculate risk of heart diseases

LUCKNOW : For the first time in India, a cross-sectional study will soon help calculate the risk of heart diseases among Indian population.

“The study, ‘Indian Risk Prediction Score’, by King George’s Medical University and AIIMS (New Delhi) will include about 25,000 individuals from all age groups,” said Prof Rishi Sethi, of the department of cardiology at the KGMU.

The first part of the study – to generate hypothesis – is completed and now real-time data will be gathered from individuals included in the study.

“We aim to have above 90% accuracy. This will help save lives and also keep vulnerable people aware about their health status and motivate them to go for preventive lifestyle to live disease free,” said Sethi.

For the study, the individuals will be selected from the OPD of the cardiology department at these two centres and then will be kept under observation while they do their routine work.

Doctors will study their behaviour and the risk factors being reflected in them.

“There will be several indicators including age, family history, and whether they had an attack earlier or not,” said Sethi.

Among those who have had a heart attack it will be seen whether they develop the risk of getting a second attack or not.

Commenting on the importance

of the study and status of those coming to the OPD, Prof Sethi said people are now aware about cardiac health, but the infrastructure available in the region is not adequate according to the need.

“In near future, we will need more and specialised centres,” he said.

“Among Indians, the cardiovascular diseases happen a decade earlier due to genetic and environmental reasons. Hence, this study will be pertinent for the country,” he said.

King George’s Medical University (KGMU) gets over 400 patients in the OPD every day.

Patients come from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and also from other states while AIIMS gets patients from across the country.