Cardiovascular disease survey to be held in Nepal

A government data has shown that a staggering 99.6 percent of the Nepali population is at the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease survey to be held in Nepal

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Manish Gautam

Published at : September 11, 2014

Updated at : September 11, 2014 08:58

A government data has shown that a staggering 99.6 percent of the Nepali population is at the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases. The national survey carried out by the Health Research Council has recently found that a majority of people indulge in one or more risk-factors — including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable consumption and physical inactivity — that pose a threat for disease contraction. Biological factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose level and abnormal lipids also contribute to the risk of the disease.

Nepal has been a venerable home to a host of communicable diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera for a long time now. But while the country has been able to fend off these diseases to a certain extent by increasing awareness about basic hygiene and preventive measures, experts believe that the pattern seems to be shifting towards non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now, with diseases falling under this category gaining the upper hand.

Experts have observed that people between the ages of 20 and 40 are more susceptible to NCDs. Still, there has been no systematic survey or research that could help make claims as to how much of the population (especially working-class) is being affected.

To address this need for statistics and facts, Dr Om Murti Anil, cardiologist, is conducting a survey that involves an urban population of 5,000. The survey, through medical tests on the subjects, will look into cardiovascular disease, which is one of the major killers among the NCDs along with cancer and diabetes.

“The surge in cardiovascular diseases, in an epidemic proportion, is due to the lack of public awareness,” said Dr Anil. Centre for Heart Attack Awareness (CHAIN), a non-profitable organisation, in association with Nepal Medical Students’ Society (NMSS) and other social organisations, will initially conduct a thorough health screening programme for assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in the selected subjects on the occasion of World Heart Day observed on September 29.

Dr Anil said that the ‘risk factors’ will be evaluated and lectures on different topics will be delivered by expert cardiologists and other specialists. ECG of all participants will be taken during the programme. Training on blood pressure and sugar level measurements will also be provided. After tests, the participants will be given an in-depth report of their health assessment along with related reading materials for free of cost.

The tests will be conducted from September 13 to September 23 at Heart Clinic, Maharajung.

Dr Anil said the findings of the reports will be made public on September 29 while all the blood samples collected during the health-screening will be tested in an Indian laboratory.