The burden of cardiovascular disease among older adults in the states of India, 2017-18

Background The absolute burden of CVD has increased globally and has shifted heavily toward low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as India, mainly because of population growth and aging.Therefore, the study aims to provide a comprehensive estimate of the burden due to cardiovascular diseases of older adults in India and its major states during 2017-18.
Methods The study used multiple data sources including the Census of India (2001 and 2011), Sample registration system (2018), MCCD reports (2018) and Longitudinal Aging study in India (LASI Wave 1, 2017-18). The overall burden of CVD in major states of India during 2017-18 was assessed using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY), a time-based measure that integrates years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs) and years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health, or years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLDs). Results
The result clearly indicated that there were substantial gender differences in the burden of CVDs. Contrary to the prevalence sex pattern, DALY for CVD among older adults was higher for females than males in India during 2017-18, The age distributions of DALY indicated that in all the major states, including at all India level, the DALY was highest among 45-54 age groups, and the patterns followed the same for males and females. The analysis revealed that the burden from the leading cardiovascular diseases in India varied widely between the states. Variations in cardiovascular disease burden between states reflected the different stages of epidemiological transition of cardiovascular disease. The study also demonstrated a significant relationship between DALY from CVD and the socioeconomic status of individuals. Conclusion
The recent study’s findings provide an evidence of a profound gender gap in burden of CVD existence in India, highlighting an urgent need to understand the drivers of these disparities and address them. The state-specific findings in this present study can also serve as a useful reference for informing policies and programs to plan more effectively the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in each state of India, which will facilitate progress towards achieving national and global targets for cardiovascular disease reduction.