Indians are concerned about their heart health but are not making enough efforts to adopt a healthy lifestyle, says a report released by Eka Care on health trends in 2022.
The report has been created by finding patterns and insights from the anonymised data of more than 50 lakh people who used medical health records app Eka Care in 2022. It found that cholesterol has become a serious concern for men in the 30–40 age group, contrary to the notion that such issues are often faced in the later years of life.
The deaths of celebrities like Puneeth Rajkumar, Sidharth Shukla and KK due to cardiac arrests at a young age threw sharp spotlight on heart attacks in 2022, stirring up conversations and concerns over heart health.
On similar lines, the report noticed massive interest among people in monitoring heart rate via their smartphones (using the Eka Care app). Data showed that a single user took around 5,228 heart rate readings last year.
However, the report also pointed out that 65% people who reported a family history of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and premature heart diseases, ended up following unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Displaying lackadaisical approach, one-fourth respondents were following unhealthy eating habits, while another one-fourth were not exercising. Around 13% respondents said they drank alcohol and 2% said they smoke.
“The idea of this report is to give you a better picture of where you stand amongst other Indians and help you focus on your health in the coming year,” the report said.
The app, Eka Care, is approved by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
It is a PHR app – patient health record app – which allows users to create their Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) and link their existing health records with the health ID system.
All information on the app can only be shared with doctors and hospitals only with the users’ consent, in line with the central government’s plan of creating a digital health eco-system.
Men and Youth Visit Psychologists More
Interestingly, the study also found that the ratio of men consulting psychologists and Ayurvedic doctors was higher than women.
It found that people going to psychological therapy were mostly in the age group of 20-40 years, but therapy-goers drastically dropped in the age group above 50 years, reflecting the trend that youngsters are more conscious about their mental health and open to the idea of opting for medical support.
Women-Related Health Trends
Another important trend is a noticeable peak in women visiting oncologists in the age group of around 44-45 years, which is otherwise the recommended age for women to get their mammograms done. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast which is used by doctors to assess early signs of breast cancer.
The study found that women are visiting diabetologists much earlier than the 50-year age mark, as compared to men. However, the report does not clarify if the women are more conscious of their age-related health issues and start taking care well before they hit certain age or they are facing health issues at an early age.
The data also showed that women were prescribed more nutrition supplements, and folic acid (a form of vitamin B9) was the most prescribed supplement to women in 2022.
Trends in Covid-19 Vaccine Shots
According to the report, 68% Indians have taken the primary and subsequent doses of vaccination against Covid-19, whereas around 8% have taken only a single shot. Around 24% of the beneficiaries have taken booster shots, as per the latest data.
Covishield has dominated India’s vaccination campaign with 82% of the total vaccinated pool taking this vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). The second most administered vaccine against Covid-19 in India is Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, with 16% beneficiaries taking the shot. The remaining 2% took other vaccines such as Russia’s Sputnik and Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D.
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