Why high cholesterol is a silent killer and major risk factor for heart disease in India

Dyslipidemia or high cholesterol comes with no symptoms but is a silent killer and a major risk factor for heart disease in India said health experts on SundayThe firstever Indian guidelines for dyslipidemia management released by the Cardiological Society of India CSI early this month recommended early cholesterol testing at the age of 18 years to identify the risk for cardiovascular diseases CVD earlier in lifeThis comes as recent data from the National Crime Records Bureau NCRB showed that India witnessed a staggering 125 per cent increase in heart attack cases in 2022 aloneAccording to the 2023 Global Burden of Disease GBD report the agestandardised CVD death rate of 272 per 100000 population in India is higher than the global average of 235 per 100000 population indicating a significant CVD burden in the countryldquoHypertension and diabetes have some symptoms but dyslipidemia has no symptom it is a true silent killerrdquo Dr J P S Sawhney Chairman of the Department of Cardiology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital New Delhi told IANSldquoHence it is recommended to have the first lipid profile at the age of 18 years when a child goes to collegerdquo said Dr Sawhney adding that ldquodyslipidemia is the most powerful risk factor of heart diseaserdquoThe expert explained that ldquothe lowdensity lipoprotein LDL cholesterolnonhighdensity lipoproteinC essentially the bad cholesterol enters into the arterial wall for the formation of plaque blockage in the arteryrdquoDr Sawhney noted that risk factors like hypertension diabetes tobacco consumption and stress further push the bad cholesterol into the arterial wallldquoSince high cholesterol has no symptom testing lipid profile nonfasting is the only way to detect its presence The lipid profile test should be repeated after four weeks of therapy to find out whether the patient has reached its target LDLC goal according to the riskrdquo said the noted cardiologistHe also suggested testing blood pressure and sugar levels along with cholesterol which can enable early detection and thereby early lifestyle intervention or medications to prevent fatal heart events laterldquoThe new lipid guidelines recommend early cholesterol testing to identify individuals at risk for cardiovascular diseases CVD earlier in life Early detection allows for timely intervention to reduce the risks Prevention is paramount We need to address risk factors before symptoms developrdquo Dr Bagirath Raghuraman Director of Heart Transplant Narayana Health City Bengaluru told IANSPreventing heart disease through early intervention can also reduce the overall healthcare burden by decreasing the need for expensive treatments and hospitalisations associated with advanced CVD the doctor saidIn addition to early testing the expert also called for other public health measures to help curb rising heart diseases in the countryldquoPublic health campaigns to educate people about healthy diets regular exercise and avoiding smoking are essential Implementing regular screening programmes in schools workplaces and communities can identify individuals at risk and provide necessary interventions Educating people about new treatments and preventive measures can support heart healthrdquo Dr Raghuraman saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever