`Heart troubles' up by 14% for women in city

Data from 108 services revealed by Union Health Ministry says cardiac ailments among women have surged due to sedentary lifestyle, work-related stress

» All seemed normal with Ravita Sharma, a 32-year-old call centre employee at Navrangpura, till one night when she experienced chest pains. Used to working night shifts, Ravita was at work when she started sweating profusely and had chest pains.
She was rushed to a city hospital where she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD), blockage of blood circulation in the heart.

» Shabita Mehta, a 46-year old mother of one, was cooking in the kitchen when she suddenly fainted. It was later discovered that she had suffered a minor heart attack.

Gujaratis are famed for their large-heartedness. Now, they are earning popularity for their `weak' hearts. Ac cording to a recent data released by the Union Health Ministry, Gujarat has recorded the highest number of cases related to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes. The National Health Report, 2015, Gujarat registered 18, 837 cases of cardiovascular diseases as on March 2015, the highest in country. The data also reveals that cases of heart ailments among women in city have surged by 14 per cent.

Heart experts in the city blame the sedentary lifestyle and work-related stress for the increase in cases of heart ailments. “The number of cases of heart attacks and blockages has certainly gone up in recent years, mainly because of environmental and social factors. The eating habits also aggravate the situation,“ said Dr Atul Maslekar senior consultant, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at a city hospital.

Moreover, data provided by 108 medical services has also shown a trend of rising number of cardiac problems in the city. Total cardiac ailments in Ahmedabad have surged by eight per cent in the past one year. In the calendar year of 2013, 8,667cases were recorded in the city which rose to 9,430 in 2014. More shockingly, the data reveals that cardiac ailments among women have surged by 14 per cent whereas men have seen an increase of 11 per cent in the same period.

In the calendar year of 2013, total 3,331 cases of cardiac problem among women have been recorded which surged to 3,830 in the next year.