Cardiovascular disease in India is no longer only a disease of old age. Heart problems now appear a decade earlier than in the West, with many cases in people aged 35 to 45, the years when they are most productive. A cardiac event affects not only the patient but also the family, the employer and the healthcare system. Costs go beyond hospital bills to include long-term medicines, follow-up tests, rehabilitation, sick leave, lost productivity and the loss of experienced employees. Many risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking, cause no symptoms for years, so people keep working while carrying silent risk. Stress, poor sleep, desk jobs and convenience diets add to the problem. Experts say prevention is far cheaper than treatment. Regular screening of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight, healthier workplaces and early medical advice can protect both employees and organisations.
