India’s developed states have a major health problem, and it’s not malnutrition.
A recent study published by The Lancet has drawn attention to the rise of non communicable lifestyle diseases in India’s developed states.
Sample this. The states with the highest incidences of lifestyle diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are those with the highest per capita income. Tamil Nadu tops the chart, followed by Kerala, Punjab, and Goa.
The study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) as part of the Global Disease Burden survey.
India – Diabetes and Heart Disease Capital of the World
The contribution of most of the major non-communicable diseases to the total disease burden has been going up in India since 1990. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders, cancers, musculoskeletal disorders, and chronic kidney disease.
Punjab has seen a drastic increase in lifestyle diseases.
According to the report, Punjab had 157 percent higher per person burden from diabetes, 134 percent higher burden from ischaemic heart disease; 49 percent higher burden from stroke, and 56 percent higher burden from road injuries.
Another major contributor to the disease burden was tobacco use at six percent. Instances of COPD – or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – was the highest in states like Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Overall life expectancy also saw a rise from 1990 to 2016, with women’s life expectancy increasing to 70.3 years, while that of men being 66.9 years.
