Health Highlights: April 25, 2008

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Heart Disease Becoming a Major Problem in India

India could account for 60 percent of heart disease cases worldwide within two years, says a study by Canadian and Indian researchers.

They analyzed data on nearly 21,000 heart attack patients admitted to 89 hospitals in 50 cities across India and found that many heart disease risk factors were the same as elsewhere in the world, such as tobacco use, high blood pressure, and diets rich in saturated fat,BBC Newsreported.

However, certain risk factors were unique to India, such as the time it takes to get access to medical help. On average, it took 300 minutes to reach a hospital, which is twice as long as in rich nations, the study found. Due to financial constraints, many patients couldn't afford an ambulance and had to use private or public transport to get to a hospital.

The researchers also found that many patients can't afford routine treatments and that many of the Indian heart attack patients were three to six years younger than heart attack patients in richer nations,BBC Newsreported.

The study was published in the journalThe Lancet.