Cleveland Clinic Survey Shows Majority of Indians Are Not Aware of Several Key Risk Factors for Heart Disease

NEW DELHI: A survey of Indian adults commissioned by global health system Cleveland Clinic has found the majority of Indians across the country do not recognize key risk factors for heart disease. Only 43% identified obesity and 28% a sedentary lifestyle as risk factors, while just 51% recognized smoking or vaping as having an impact on one’s risk of developing heart disease.

The risk factors most recognized by the respondents were stress (identified by 58%) and high blood pressure (55%) and among some of the least identified factors were poor dental health (14%) and not exercising enough (38%).

“The survey results indicate that more awareness is needed on the considerable impact that modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and lack of exercise can have on heart health. It is important to realize 90% of heart disease is preventable through a healthier diet, regular exercise, and not smoking,” said Samir Kapadia, M.D., chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “Given that heart disease is the number-one cause of death in India, encouraging individuals to make meaningful changes to their lifestyle habits could have an enormous positive impact on population health.”

Indian-born Dr. Kapadia earned his medical degree from Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College in Gujarat before continuing his studies in the US. He now leads the team of cardiologists for the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute – part of Cleveland Clinic, which has retained its position as the No. 1 hospital in the U.S. for cardiology and heart surgery for 27 consecutive years, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual hospital rankings.

The Indian survey also investigated the eating habits of adults and found that 82% follow a specific diet plan, with the most popular being vegetarian (including eggs and dairy), selected by 35% of total respondents, followed by plant-based (19%), low-carbohydrate (17%) and vegan (17%) diets.

When considering perceptions of healthy eating, the diets identified most by Indians as among the most heart-healthy were vegetarian (including eggs and dairy) (37%), plant-based (28%) and vegan (22%). Only 11% of Indians identified the Mediterranean diet, which is recommended by global bodies such as the American Heart Association, as heart healthy.

“Some of these dietary findings are positive, for example, a high proportion of adults follow vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diets, and we do recommend to our patients that they increase plant sources of protein and reduce intake of animal protein. However, there are other changes to consider. To promote heart health through diet, we generally recommend people cut down on saturated fats, such as ghee, and trans fats, found in fried food, for example. We also recommend increased intake of fruits and vegetables; eating more fiber and whole grains; and limiting sweets, sugary foods and alcohol,” Dr. Kapadia said.

The survey also sought to gauge whether the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had made a difference to Indian adults’ activity levels, and found a slight decline in activity among some generations before and after March 2020.

According to the survey results, the number of people who never or rarely do moderate to vigorous exercise has increased by only 3 percentage points overall since the pandemic started, rising from 30% to 33%. However, when looking at generational trends, the pandemic had the least effect on Gen Z (+2 percentage point change) (69% vs. 67%), but the number of Boomers (ages 58-76) who exercised rarely or never rose by 10 points from 23% to 33%.

Cleveland Clinic, a global health system first established in the US in 1921, regularly commissions heart health surveys in various countries. The survey in India was conducted in January this year, and is being published now as part of Cleveland Clinic’s global heart health awareness initiative.

Cleveland Clinic is the No.1 hospital in the world for cardiac surgery, according to Newsweek’s World’s Best Specialized Hospitals of 2022. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for cardiology and cardiac surgery for 27 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Cleveland Clinic has been a leader in heart care since the 1940s, when Arda Green, M.D., and Irvine Page, M.D., led research teams that isolated serotonin and linked high blood pressure to heart disease.

Cleveland Clinic’s cardiac-related discoveries and “firsts” have continued since then. Cleveland Clinic has:

• Performed the world’s first successful stopped heart surgery in clinical practice (Donald Effler, M.D., and Laurence Groves, M.D., 1956)
• Developed selective coronary angiography (Mason Sones, M.D., 1958)
• Helped establish cholesterol/heart disease risk (Irvine Page, M.D., and Helen Brown, Ph.D., 1958-65)
• Pioneered coronary bypass surgery (Rene Favaloro, M.D., 1967)
• Developed new standard of care for bypass surgery, using the mammary artery (Dr. Favaloro and Floyd Loop, M.D., 1971)
• Invented new devices for heart valve repair (Toby Cosgrove, M.D., 1980)
• Directed the Reversal trial, the first study to show that high doses of statins could halt the progression of coronary artery disease (Steven Nissen, M.D., 2003)
• Linked gut bacteria to high cholesterol, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease (Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., 2011/ongoing)

Survey methodology: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1034 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 19-28 January 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all India adults (aged 18+).