Rohit Shishodia
As many as 30% people in Delhi are living with hypertension, 25% living with diabetes and 15% with anemia, reveals a survey conducted in Delhi on 10006 respondents from middle and lower middle classes of the society.

During the survey, 19 health checkup camps were organized in 19 different localities in Delhi. The survey was part of Fit India and Hit India campaign, conducted by the Doctors’ Cell of Bhartiya Janata Party's Delhi Unit in association with Aao Sath Chale, an NGO.

The survey also found that 20% participants were overweight. Significant findings indicate that non-communicable and lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes and obesity are to be tackled on a war footing in the national capital.

The survey found as many as 77 positive cases during mammography tests done for breast cancer and 15 cases for prostate cancer. The survey also found major prevalence of alcohol consumption and smoking in slums.

Dr Anil Goyal, Coordinator, Doctors Cell and Head, Goyal Urology Centre, Delhi, told DTMT that the surprising part of the study was that many of those who were found positive for hypertension and diabetes were not aware that they suffered from both these non-communicable diseases.

Dr Goyal pointed out that hypertension is a silent killer. It impacts the blood supply and increases chances of blood clots. It can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke, retinopathy, heart failure, heart attack due to narrowness of blood vessels and paralysis.

“Whenever there is less blood supply, there would be complications, including diabetic ulcers, and heart attacks. Same is with diabetes. It impacts all organs of the body. It increases the chances of infections in the body. Hypertension is the biggest risk factor for erectile dysfunction. The person who has hypertension and diabetes is prone to suffer from heart attack,” said Dr Goyal.

“Family history, physical inactivity, intake of late night food, consumption of fast food and stress are risk factors of hypertension and diabetes. Prevention of the disease is by having a healthy lifestyle. Getting up early in the morning, exercise, eating fresh vegetables, fresh food and being happy can prevent hypertension and diabetes,” he said.

Dr Goyal also suggested setting up of lifestyle diseases clinics, health awareness program in RWAs, societies, religious places, regular checkup, tobacco and alcohol quitting, organization of health melas that include exhibition of healthy diets, which can prevent these diseases.

According to Dr Goyal, in 2016-17, India spent Rs 1.6 lakh crore for treatment of diabetes and related complications. “If we reduce these compilations, the economic burden of the country will come down and thus we would be able to achieve our goal of Swachh, Swasth and Samridh Bharat,” said Dr Goyal.