Life style diseases emerge as silent killer

These diseases are widespread, as countries become industrialised and people live longer. The way these begin is dangerous. It takes years to develop and then becomes so much a part of our lives that it cannot be easily cured even with allopathic medicines. The fact that our diet is changing day by day, from high nutritional food, we move towards junk food, has contributed to the era of lifestyle diseases. Reduction in physical activity and exercise has also added to the scenario. Substance abuse, especially tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking may also increase the risk of certain diseases later in the life. But unlikely other diseases, lifestyle diseases can be barred, as its influence can be weakened by changing our lifestyles, improving diet and making the environment healthier. The deaths from an entirely new category of diseases, that is, lifestyle diseases surfaced in the 1940's. Prior to that, deaths were mostly caused due to infectious diseases like malaria, typhoid, pneumonia, etc. In 1900, the top three causes of death in the United States were pneumonia/influenza, tuberculosis, and diarrhea / enteritis. Back then communicable diseases accounted for about 60 per cent of all deaths. In 1900, lifestyle diseases like heart disease and cancer were ranked number four and number eight respectively. Since the 1940's, most deaths in the United States have resulted from heart disease, cancer and other lifestyle diseases. And, by the late 1990's, lifestyle diseases accounted for more than 60 per cent of all deaths. To tackle with the situation faced due to communicable diseases, modern science improved medical treatments, vaccinations, sanitation, awareness etc. But lifestyle diseases have again challenged the science. They take away the time from you. People die at an early age. Various lifestyle diseases, now-a-days, include Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, asthma, cancer, chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, nephritis or chronic renal failure, osteoporosis, acne, depression, obesity, heart disease and stroke. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that more than 270 million people are susceptible of falling victim to diseases linked to unhealthy lifestyles. Most of these people are thought to come from China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia. China and India are the emerging economic superpowers. With prosperity have come cushy, but sedentary jobs requiring long hours of work with no time left for exercise. Added to this is the fact that the diets are becoming increasingly focused on ready-made junk food. Professor Paul Zimmet, a director of the International Diabetes Institute in Australia says that the world appears to be more concerned about big diseases like AIDS and now bird flu, "There has been a preoccupation with AIDS and more recently bird flu, but diabetes has been escalating. It's a time bomb." The world is just not spending enough money to tackle with the lifestyle diseases despite the fact that these are the cause for most of the deaths in the world as compared to any other disease. In a little over a decade from now, chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and AIDS would account for over 65 per cent of deaths in India compared to 53 per cent in 2005. By 2020, chronic diseases are expected to claim 7.63 million lives in India, compared to 3.78 million in 1990, a study said. India that is already home to the largest number of diabetes patients is projected to have 30 million diabetics by 2020, of which 6.6 million or 22 per cent would suffer from complications such as diabetic nephropathy. Similarly, stress both at work and at home is going to take a further toll with the number of people suffering from hypertension estimated to rise 213.5 million in 2025, compared to 118.2 million in 2000 representing an 80 per cent rise in a span of a quarter century. A recent study had estimated that nearly 11 per cent of India's urban population and three per cent of rural population above the age of 15 have diabetes. The WHO estimates that mortality from diabetes and heart disease cost India about $210 billion every year and is expected to increase to $335 billion in the next 10 years. India's rapid economic growth could be slowed by a sharp rise in the prevalence of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and the successful information technology industry is likely to be the hardest hit, a study has found. So-called lifestyle diseases are estimated to have wiped $9bn (£4.4bn) off the country's national income in 2005, but the cost could reach more than £100bn over the next 10 years if corrective action is not taken soon, the report claims. The study by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations says that although India's boom has brought spiralling corporate profits and higher incomes for employees, it has also led to a surge in workplace stress and lifestyle diseases. The health minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, said his biggest concern was the IT industry, which has grown rapidly on the boom in international outsourcing in recent years. "It's the fastest-growing industry in our country, but it is most vulnerable to lifestyle diseases," Mr Ramadoss said. "Its future growth could be stunted if we don't address the problem now." Long working hours, night shifts and a sedentary lifestyle make people employed at such companies prone to heart disease and diabetes, the report said. There have also been growing reports of depression and family breakdown in the industry. Infosys Technologies, India's second-largest software exporter, has a 24-hour hotline for employees suffering from depression to contact psychiatrists. "We must have prevented at least 30 deaths from suicide because of this hotline," said Richard Lobo, a company director. "In Bangalore the psychiatrists say their Saturdays are reserved for marriage counselling for the IT sector," he added. Infosys introduced a work-life balance plan several years ago, Mr Lobo said. But less than a third of companies in the industry conduct regular health checks or provide similar support, the study said. Ravi Kasliwal, a cardiologist at New Delhi's Indraprastha hospital, said heart disease was projected to account for 35% of deaths among India's working-age population between 2000 and 2030, citing data from the World Health Organisation. India's per capita health spending of £3.40 is one of the lowest in the world. There are many ways to measure the wealth of a nation. Economists count the consumer mantra in today's India: make good money, get cars, get houses, get gadgets, get meals out. Medics add the crucial rider: along with these, get the Big Five--obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems and cancer. In the surge of globalisation--as modern ways open India's doors to lifestyle excesses--dreaded diseases stalk the expanding middle and upper classes. Chronic diseases stand almost as totems of success in India now.