There is good news on the health front. A leading cardiologist says incidents of heart disease in India are set to plateau in seven to eight years and then fall due to greater awareness about a healthy lifestyle and more effective drugs.

`People are cutting down on salt intake, a development that is sure to bring down now rampant cases of high blood pressure,` Vinay Sanghi, who is from the Fortis Escorts Hospital said.

`More patient friendly medication with few side effects is also now available,` he said. `People also understand the necessity of exercising every day.

`All these three factors should cut down the number of those who face the risk of heart ailment,` said Sanghi, who returned to India after serving in the US from 1995 to 2010.

Heart disease is considered a sign of prosperity, mostly accruing to those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, devoid of even giving minimal exercise to their body.

Heart diseases have now become the number one killer in India, replacing communicable diseases from that slot. A quarter of those who get heart attacks are in the 25-69 age group.

Increasingly, heart ailments are killing Indians both in urban and rural areas, although the fatalities are more in cities and towns.

`The cycle of heart disease has started. The number should plateau in seven to eight years, from which point it will start to decline. All of us will see a definite change in a decade,` Sanghi said.

For now, the number of heart diseases was `rising alarmingly`. The total number of cases was more than in the developed world, he said.

`Heart diseases occur mostly in Tier I and II cities. New cases are very high -- for now.

`The good news is people are realising the need to maintain healthy lifestyle, keep away from salty snacks and fast food, go for more physical activity, and take a morning walk. There is increasing awareness.

`More than anything else, it is this self-realization that will help India in the long run.`

Source: IANS
Image: Flickr/creativecommons alifayre