A new study has found that emigration to West makes Indians more prone to heart diseases. Published in British journal Atherosclerosis, the study — by scientists of AIIMS and University of Manchester — found that western diet, high in saturated fat and protein leads to obesity and consequent risk of heart diseases in already vulnerable Indians. The study, researchers say, explains why men and women in Britain whose families originated in the Indian sub-continent report 40 percent more cardiac deaths than British population of European descent. "The study is important as it shows how migration leads to change in lifestyle and dietary patters leading to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes in Indians, which is already a highly vulnerable population,’’ said Dr Srinath Reddy, Head of the Department Cardiology at AIIMS, who conducted the research in India. "It also raises concerns about what is happening in India. The situation the migrant population in the West finds itself is the immediate future of the urban Indian population. Rural population is also fast reaching there,’’ said Dr Reddy. The scientists compared health of Gujaratis living in Britain (Sandwell, WestMidlands) to those in their native villages in Navsari in India. “Gujaratis were selected as they are a well-organised community. They have community directories with names and addresses and everybody is traceable,’’ said Dr Reddy For selecting the subjects, help was taken from UK’s electoral register of 1998 and India’s electoral rolls of 1999. A total of 537 Gujaratis were examined, 242 from Sandwell and 294 from Navsari. Study shows how migration leads to change in lifestyle and diet patterns, leading to higher risk of heart disease Indians, already a highly vulnerable population — Dr Srinath Reddy Head of the Department of Cardiology at AIIMS The study shows how migration to UK has altered the ‘BMI’ (Body Mass Index for obesity) in migrant Gujarati population who, in India, have a lower incidence of heart disease. The researchers found that intake of energy was higher in Sandwell than Navsari. Indices like total cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes and blood pressure were significantly higher in Sandwell Gujaratis. "The increased BMI would have led to rise in the level of serum cholesterol and triglycerides which is compounded by increase in dietary saturated fat,’’ the study concluded.
