A recent study of 750 families in Kerala showed that a programme encouraging entire households to adopt a healthier lifestyle can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in households with a history of early coronary heart disease.
According to the study, which was conducted in Kerala from January 2015 to April 2017 and published in The Lancet in October 2021, a family history of early coronary heart disease (discovered before 55 years) puts a person at 1.5–7 times higher risk of future cardiovascular diseases. For the study, health workers gave 368 families regular check-ups every one to two months and encouraged them to change their diets, exercise more, and avoid tobacco and alcohol, while also linking them to a primary health centre. In comparison, 382 homes received ‘common care,’ which included one-time counselling and an annual screening.
Findings show that encouraging the entire family to make lifestyle changes was easier than providing routine treatment. This is because families function within the context of organic and cultural connections, and health-related behaviour, such as weight reduction plan and exercise, is often difficult to change without the knowledge and cooperation of other family members, according to the study. It goes on to say that family ties can help improve the health and well-being of members of the family who are dealing with the management of various chronic conditions.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the number of cases of cardiovascular diseases on the world than quadrupled from 271 million in 1990 to 523 million in 2019. In 2019, India lost approximately 2.5 million people to cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 13.5 percent of all deaths from coronary heart disease globally.
