Saffolalife study 2015

80% of Mumbai women with a 

BMI over normal are at risk of heart disease: 

Saffolalife study 2015

·         78% of Mumbai women are at risk of heart disease have increased belly fat

by Suman Gupta

28^th September, Mumbai: In a unique initiative aimed at identifying risk factors associated with poor heart health among Indian women, the Saffolalife Study 2015 has revealed that more than 60 percent of urban India females in the age group of 30 to 45 years are at risk of being affected by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). With 89% of women at risk of CVDs in Mumbai falling in the overweight/obese category, the results of the study has revealed some alarming statistics.

               

Running in its fourth year, Saffolalife study is India’s largest study on risk factors causing heart diseases. It addresses health and nutrition aspects related to preventive healthcare, and seeks to impart accurate, credible and expert-led information.

         

The Saffolalife study 2015 was conducted in 10 leading metro and non-metro cities of India. The study saw participation by 1,299 urban Indian females in the age group 30-45 years. The data collated from the study was analyzed by IMRB International.

Supporting the Saffolalife study, Dr. Brain Pinto, Chief of Cardiology at Holy Family Hospital, Bandra said, “Cardiovascular diseases in women are slowly gaining epidemic proportions due to high LDL levels and BMI over normal. Moreover, changing food habits and unhealthy food choices, such as increased intake of food like cheese, food rich in trans fats and late dinners are leading to increased abdominal obesity and increased waist-to-hip ratio, a major risk factor for heart diseases. An increasing number of women are transitioning from the cardio-protective pear shape body to apple shape with increasing waistlines and truncal obesity, eventually putting them at risk of heart diseases. In addition, smoking, low levels of physical activity, diabetes, high BP and other lifestyle factors are responsible for fat redistribution in women while accelerating their risk of CVDs”.

Compared to eastern India, a higher proportion of women in Mumbai were found to be at risk of getting CVDs. 78% of women in Mumbai at risk of being affected by CVDs have reported increased belly fat, indicating that apple-shaped women are at risk of getting heart diseases. 34% of women at risk of being affected by CVDs have large waistlines in Mumbai.

As for food habits, it was found that a majority of women in Mumbai (86%) who have greater risk of getting CVDs, consume preserved foods thrice a week. With food like cheese, food rich in trans fats, 64% of such high-risk category women consume them twice a week, while 63% consume fried foods thrice a week. Despite the much–maligned role of sweetened beveragesin raising the risk of getting heart diseases, 55% of women in Mumbai within this high-risk category consume sweetened beveragestwice a week. Additionally, of the total women at risk, 23% eat late dinners.

The heart health of the Indian woman is a cause for concern as she is the caregiver of the family, managing many roles at one time.

Facts about Cardiovascular disease risk among Indian women

1.    The largest group of women at risk of CVD is aged 30-45.

2.    Significantly higher proportions of women in south and west face CVD risk compared to rest of the country.

Key findings on risk factors         

1.    Increased visceral fat is not good for your heart

86% Women who face CVD risk were also found to have BMI over normal

A large waist strains your heart

·         74% Women who face CVD risk also have increased belly fat/broad waistline.

·         43% Women who face CVD risk also have increased waistline (waist-to-hip ratio more than 0.85).

2.    Unhealthy food habits can put you at risk of CVDs early

·         85% women who face CVD risk have preserved food 3 days a week

·         74% women who face CVD risk consume food like cheese, food rich in trans fats twice a week.

·         75% women who face CVD risk consume fried foods twice a week.

·         60% women who face CVD risk consume sweetened beverages twice a week.

Lifestyle factors have also contributed to the increase in CVD risk. In fact, it was seen that 30 percent of women at risk of CVDs have late dinners – post 10 pm. Poor lifestyle choices at an early age are common among women at risk of CVDs.

As Ms. Niti Desai, Celebrity Dietician and Health Coach says, “High saturated fats, sugar rising stress levels, smoking and lack of physical activity are among the major factors responsible for deterioration in heart health among women. Likewise, having late dinners is becoming a normal trend among urban women due to late working hours and lack of time. This is an invite for heart diseases.”

Pan-India findings on CVD risk

·         Higher proportions of women with CVD risk in Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad have increased waistlines (Waist-to-hip ratio) as compared to women in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.

•       88% of women with CVD risk in Kolkata have late night dinners.

•       Women in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are more at risk of being affected by CVDs, compared to their counterparts in Kolkata.

•       Significantly higher proportion of women in Bangalore is at CVD risk compared to Chennai.

Zone-wise findings on CVD risk among Women:

1.    West

·         89% Women who face CVD risk were also found to have BMI over normal.

·         78% Women who face CVD risk also have increased belly fat/broad waistline.

·         43% Women who face CVD risk also have increased waistline (waist-to-hip ratio more than 0.85).

2. North

·         85% Women who face CVD risk also have increased belly fat/broad waistlines.

·         94% Women who face CVD risk were also found to have BMI over normal.

·         40% Women who face CVD risk also have increased waistlines (waist-to-hip ratio more than 0.85).

3. South

·         79% Women who face CVD risk also have increased belly fat/broad waistlines.

·         70% Women who face CVD risk were also found to have BMI over normal.

·         58% Women who face CVD risk also have increased waistlines (waist-to-hip ratio More than 0.85).

Food habits:

1.    West

•           57% Women who face CVD risk consume food like cheese, food rich in trans fats twice a week.

•           63% Women who face CVD risk consume fried foods twice a week.

•           42% Women who face CVD risk consume sweetened beverages twice a week.

2.    North

·         93% Women who face CVD risk have preserved foods 3 days a week.

·         93% Women who face CVD risk consume food like cheese, food rich in trans fats twice a week.

·         94% Women who face CVD risk consume fried foods twice a week.

·         83% Women who face CVD risk consume sweetened beverages twice a week.

3.    South

·         85% Women who face CVD risk consume food like cheese, food rich in trans fatstwice a week.

·         79% Women who face CVD risk consume fried foods twice a week.

·         80% Women who face CVD risk consume sweetened beverages twice a week.

Poor lifestyle:

•       In west, 22% women who face CVD risk have late dinners – post-10 pm

•       In north, 26% women who face CVD risk have late dinner – post-10 pm

•       In south, 14% women who face CVD risk have late dinner – post-10 pm

The key take away from the study this year is the need for sensitizing urban Indian females on the significance of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and healthy food choices as steps to a healthy heart. It has been observed that women ignore their own health and are not aware of the extent of risk of CVDs setting in and thus are unable to take steps to ensure better heart health. Assessment of her current heart condition and the immediate need to go for a heart health assessment test is also essential for early identification of risk and subsequent management.

About Saffolalife Study: Saffolalife™ is a not-for-profit initiative started by Saffola around 14 years ago. The objective of Saffolalife is to spread awareness about the risk of heart ailments in India, and hence bring down the number of deaths caused due to Cardio-vascular diseases. Saffolalife™ has within its fold various initiatives which include the Heart Age Finder and the Saffolalife™ Study. In the past, the survey data was collected online. However, this year, in order to strengthen the understanding, Saffolalife Study went on ground to conduct face–to-face survey interviews and also tied up with an accredited laboratory to assess the diagnostic parameters that contribute to CVD risk among women.

*Date based on a Saffolalife Survey conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chennai, Ludhiana, Hyderabad and Bangalore among 1,299 respondents (950 respondents were tested by the diagnostic laboratory for the CVD risk parameters which is weighted mean to universe data (Source : IRS 2012-Q2)). Outcomes of the survey are based on the weighted mean of the number of respondents surveyed and those who underwent the diagnostic tests.