With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting highs of almost fifty degrees Celsius over the weekend tensions are looming regarding heat related deaths. One key concern is the increased risk of complications in those living with hypertension. Heatwaves have seen highs of 49 degrees in Delhi, with neighbouring Gurugram in Haryana recorded 48.1 degrees Celsius, […]
hypertension
Heart disease is not just a concern among the elderly
The recent deaths of celebrities Puneeth Rajkumar and Siddharth Shukla due to cardiac arrest have once again brought heart disease to the forefront of public attention. The key message derived from Indian cardiologists, as well as cardiologists across the globe is that heart disease is not just a disease of the elderly. As reported by […]
A startling surge in hypertension
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is growing at an alarming rate worldwide according to recent data published in The Lancet. The research – accessible here – found that the number of individuals living with hypertension doubled in the last three decades. The world’s hypertensive population now exceeds 1.2 billion, with researchers sounding the alarm on […]
World Hypertension Day 2021: A reminder to check your numbers
Hypertension – raised blood pressure – is a major public health crisis in India, being a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) – the country’s dominant killer. World Hypertension Day 2021 is an opportunity to stress the importance of checking your numbers, for the betterment of one’s health. As previously noted […]
Salt Awareness Week 2021 draws to a close
Today, Salt Awareness Week 2021 ends. The observance is intended to promote wider knowledge of why too much salt can be harmful to your health as the effects are far-reaching. In India, salt awareness is important given how much salt Indians consume. In 2019, Down to Earth reported that Indians consume almost ten grams of […]
Bathing and sleeping: Risk reduction for heart disease
Risk factors for heart disease are abundant in modern India. Could simple, everyday activities such as bathing and getting enough sleep reduce the risk? Heart disease accounted for 28.1 percent of all deaths in India in 2016, making the condition the country’s leading killer. Lifestyle changes have allowed a surge in rates of the condition, […]
Preeclampsia: A heart disease risk
Preeclampsia – a disease that can occur during pregnancy – can lead to an elevated risk of cardiac disease in later life, according to new research. The condition refers to gestational hypertension, wherein the mother’s blood pressure is elevated (onset being after the twentieth week of pregnancy) posing a risk both to her and her […]
Junk food in schools off the menu
Soon, junk food will no longer be sold in schools. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has moved to prohibit the sale of junk food in school canteens against the backdrop of a growing crisis of childhood obesity in the country. By 2030, India is expected to be home to 27 million […]
Screening campaign yields results in Mumbai
Both infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) take a significant toll throughout India. In Maharashtra, a screening campaign has led to diagnoses of numerous conditions throughout the state capital Mumbai and detection of multiple symptoms of a range of ailments. The survey, conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), covered approximately 25 lakh people over […]
HWCs: Almost 21,000 built under Ayushman Bharat
![A primary health centre in Thuravoor, Kerala. Strengthening India's primary healthcare infrastructure through HWCS is a core of Ayushman Bharat. (Image credit: Ranjithsiji [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons)](https://www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/800px-Thuravoor_Primary_Health_Center_Main_Building-150x150.jpg "Healthcare equipment: The greatest disparity?")
More than 20,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) are operational across India. HWCs mark a major commitment by the Centre to strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure in the country, coming as part of its flagship health insurance initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or Ayushman Bharat. In the previous year, 20,942 HWCs have become […]