NCDs account for 73 per cent of disease burden in Tamil Nadu: Study
Chennai: Noncommunicable diseases and cardiovascular diseases are the most common health-related issues witnessed in Tamil Nadu, reports a recent study released by Lancet recently. The report titled “Nations within a nation: Variations in epidemiological transition across the states of India, 1990-2016 in the global burden of disease study” highlights the disease burden affecting Tamil Nadu in terms of DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Year). Noncommunicable diseases constitute 72.3 per cent of the burden of diseases in Tamil Nadu, whereas cardiovascular diseases constitute 37.4 per cent of it. However, the case differs in children as more than 72.1 per cent of paediatric deaths were due to nutritional diseases and 38.8 percent of deaths attributed to neonatal diseases.
The research revealed that Tamil Nadu lost 4,788 healthy years to ischaemic heart disease in the last 26 years against the national mean of 3,062. The ailments due to chronic kidney diseases were 1,026, which is almost double the national mean of 583. Use of alcohol acted as an individual risk factor that contributed to more than 2 percent of disability-adjusted life-years in Tamil Nadu and led to 95.4 percent increase in the risk of diseases. Ischaemic heart diseases, diabetes, sense organ disorders, self-harm, low back and neck pain ailments, migraine, chronic kidney related diseases and depressive disorders witnessed a larger loss of healthy years or DALYs in Tamil Nadu than the national mean of these ailments.
Child and maternal malnutrition mainly contributed to the loss of DALYs from neonatal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections and other common infectious diseases in the state. Of the leading injury causes, the number of deaths from self-harm (suicide) in the age group of 15-39 years was alarmingly higher than other causes and accounted for 43 percent of deaths in the state. While the national average for DALY from self-harm is 884, Tamil Nadu stood third among all states with 1,435 after Tripura and Karnataka, who were first and second.
Lifestyle changes a key factor, say med experts
Commenting upon the current scenario of loss of healthy years in the state, health experts say that non-communicable diseases are mostly due to lifestyle changes and can be prevented by physical activity and dietary changes.“Obesity mostly is the major risk factor for most of the non-communicable diseases including cardiac diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases which tops the list of ailments in the state. A sedentary lifestyle along with consumption of deep-fried food, canned food and alcohol increases the risk leading to other chronic ailments. An individualistic preventive health care approach can help decrease the disease burden in the state,” says renowned dietitian Dr Dharini Krishnan.
The Lancet report highlighted ischaemic heart diseases as one of the leading ailment adding to the burden of diseases in Tamil Nadu. Experts blame it on decreased physical activity that causes obesity. “Overcoming obesity would reduce the risk of cardiac diseases by a large percentage. Usually, youngsters skip sports activities once they complete their schooling and physical activity reduces gradually, which is extremely bad for heart health. A regular physical activity for an hour on a daily basis can help avoid obesity and keep away cardiac diseases,” said Dr Madan Mohan, a cardiologist at Fortis Malar.
