New strategies to deal with cardiovascular diseases stressed

India should adopt new strategies to deal with cardiovascular diseases, which would cause a loss of $237 billion for the nation in the next 10 years, medical experts said today.

Pointing out that cardiovascular diseases strike Indians early and kill many in their productive mid-life,they said an aging population, increasing obesity levels, lack of physical activity and an increasing number of diabetes affected people are contributory factors.

The experts stated this at a three-day Indo-US workshop on 'vascular and mycardial biology' which began in Thiruvananthapuram today, organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.

Director of the Centre, M Radhakrishna Pillai said the meet was an endeavour to identify advances in concepts on disease mechanisms which can be investigated through epidemiological and clinical studies for defining novel strategies for prevention and early diagnosis.

Stephen M Prescott, president, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in his keynote address said the interaction among Indian and US cardiologists, scientists and researchers from academic institutions as well as Indian industry could result in sustained linkages.