Interestingly, youngsters these days seem more susceptible to illness because of their lifestyles. Irregular eating habits, exposing themselves to the risks of food poisoning or jaundice or whatever, in the trash they eat. So long as they feel fine, "why go to a doctor?" is what they say. "People don't want to invite problems. It's the fear of what if something comes up," says Dr. G.S. Nayar. Then consider this.
Young Indians, less than 40 year of age, are more prone to heart attacks and this may come as small consolation, but men can take heart that heart attacks aren't just a man's disease. Interestingly, when the Framingham Heart Study compared risk factors of men and women, investigations revealed that in women, cardiovascular diseases occurred later in life. Cardiovascular disease and stroke strike more women every year than breast cancer does. Here's evidence. 1 out of every 2 women dies of heart attacks as against 1 in 28 women who die of breast cancer. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer disease amongst women and stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death.
Every 9th Hypertensive person in the world is an Indian. Hypertension can cause hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, and kidney diseases and can wreak havoc of your health over time. You know, you could be one of those 50 million Indians afflicted?
The fastest growing disease in India is Diabetese. Every 3rd Indian home has one. The World Health Organization believes that Diabetics in India would be the highest for any part of the world.
Cancer is another killer. In India alone, over 300, 000 cancer deaths happen annually. 1 in every 12 women and 1 in every 12 men up to 64 years of age is expected to get some form of cancer in their lifetime.
World over, Obesity is now being recognized as an epidemic posing serious health threat. It is estimated that over 300million people all over the world are obese and the levels continue to rise. According to a recent survey, Obesity is growing at as fast a pace as lifestyles are changing. It leads to increase in blood pressure, unfavorable cholesterol levels and raises the risks of heart attacks and even cancer.
Oh, so your last Annual Health Check-up showed you were 'normal'? What's more, you didn't get to see your report because the HR chaps filed it, comforting you with assuring words of "You're normal". Welcome to the world of uncertainties. You are now a Walking, Talking Time Bomb waiting to explode any minute, because your medical reports didn't identify a possible catastrophe lurking in some corner of your system.
"There's nothing called 'normal'. There's a normal range, but most results are always viewed in isolation and never evaluated with prevailing risk factors in a patient," says Dr. G.S.Nayar. "For example, the most frightening thing for a male is a heart attack and you can be rest assured that one can accurately predict an average man getting a heart attack in the next 5 or 10 years," adds Dr. G.S. Nayar. He pooh-poohs the myth of various Annual Health Check-up Packages and 'hazaar' medical tests, some of which are unnecessary, as something devised more to satisfy a commercial need than create meaningful interactive relationships.
True, there are medical tests involved, but what makes the Ojus Healthcare program different - and certainly more realistic - is that it adopts a methodology based on detailed diagnostic screening of the patient, collecting personal information and correlating the findings to the presence of various risk factors in the patient.
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