Kalam calls for more research on prevention of heart diseases

Bangalore, Dec 18 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today called for research to develop a vaccine that could prevent heart-related diseases, especially those occurring at a young age.

''I have been asking scientists and medical experts since a long time as to why one gets heart attack at young age. Till date, no answer was given,'' he said after inaugurating the Thrombosis Research Institute here and added the TRI could work in coordination with research institutes like the Indian Institute of Science and NIMHANS towards this direction.

Assuring total government support to popularise such a vaccine, the President said over 80 per cent of the heart diseases reported was at the age of 40 and the disease was most common in developing countries like India. The knowledge obtained out of research undertaken so far was found to be costly and hence the need to find a vaccine to prevent the disease that is affordable to common man.

Mr Kalam suggested that 'Lifestyle Intervention', which included fibre in food, fruits and brisk walk, might be included while developing the new vaccine.

He said the mortality and morbidity resulting from cerebro and cardio vascular diseases were a major, also increasing, public health problem in India. In developed countries, stroke was a disorder occurring above 55 years and therefore an age-related disorder.

Stroke continued to be a common cause for death and disability in India.

''Recent community surveys from many regions of India show the crude prevalence rate of stroke to be 200 per 100,000 population.

Stroke among the young is more common in India compared to the West.

Various studies have reported that 18 to 32 per cent of stroke occurs in individuals aged 40 years or less, compared to only three per cent in the West. However, in India, stroke in patients aged 40 years and below accounts for 18 per cent to 40 per cent of all strokes. The prevalence varies between different regions in the country, for example in Southern States the prevalence of stroke in young is as high as 40 per cent,'' he said.

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