Hyderabad: Telangana has the highest number of people dying due to heart diseases in the country, according to data on causes of death released by by the census of India. The data pertaining to 2014 and says that 57.1 per cent of all medically certified deaths in Telangana happened due to ‘diseases of circulatory system’, which is also the cause for most of the deaths in the country (31.6 per cent).
The number of deaths due to heart disease is also high in Andhra Pradesh. As per the census data 32.5 per cent of the deaths in AP were due to heart diseases. In 2013, the figure was just 27.7 per cent when the state was not yet bifurcated. The latest data indicates that deaths due to heart diseases have spiked in the state.
Among the 33,140 medically certified deaths reported to the Registrar General of India in 2014 by Telangana state, 18,912 were due to heart diseases. These included 12,028 men and 6,884 women.
People in the age group 55-64 seem to be most vulnerable to being victim of heart diseases with 3,545 deaths reported in this age group, followed by 3,517 in 45-54 group. Among children, too, heart diseases is a serious concern that has hit 1,812 children aged 1-4 year.
In the same year 901 deaths were due to diseases of respiratory system and 582 due to diseases of digestive system. The second highest killer was ‘infectious and parasitic diseases’ that claimed 4,416 lives in the state. As many as 3,824 deaths in this category have been clubbed under ‘other bacterial diseases.’ Agewise, the maximum number of deaths (919) were reported in the 45-54 age group followed by 904 deaths in the 55-64 group.
Of all the medically certified deaths in 2014, in Telangana, 1,357 were due to ‘injuries, poisoning and consequences of external causes’ which includes road accidents as well of which the maximum were in 45-54 and 25-34 age groups.
Statistics on mortalities and their causes are studied by administrators, researchers and other professionals for developing policies on public health and are released annually.
North-South variance Not really due to diet
The data released by Census of India on causes of medically certified deaths in the country points out that the number of deaths due to heart diseases is higher in south Indian states as compared to north.
While Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka recorded 57.1, 32.5, 48.8, 28.8 and 29.6 per cent respectively, it stands at 24.2 per cent in Punjab, 13.2 per cent in Chandigarh, 25.5 per cent in Himachal Pradesh, 14 per cent in New Delhi, 16.5 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 22.7 per cent in Bihar, and 19.4 per cent in Gujarat.
While rice is known as a staple food of south Indians and wheat of north Indians, cardiologists and nutritionists say it is not a reason. Dr Lanka Krishna, Cardiologist at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), says, “There is no connection between eating rice and heart diseases. It depends on how much exercise one does and the lifestyle of the person.”
Dr M Maheshwar, scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, also says, “Sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits are the reasons and not eating rice or wheat.”
Dr Panniyammakal Jeemon of Public Health Foundation of India, says, “The rice which we are eating goes through a lot of polishing and loses much nutritional value." Alcohol consumption is one of the factors. As per the data, south Indians consume more alcohol than their north Indian counterparts.
