Publications
Translating evidence into policy for cardiovascular disease control in India
Gupta R, Guptha S, Joshi R, Xavier D. Introduction
It is now established that non-communicable diseases especially cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major causes of death and disability in low income countries including India [1]. In India the latest Registrar General of India report confirms that circulatory diseases [CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke] are the largest cause of deaths. This is observed in all regions of the country, in men and women (Table 1) [2]. Prevalence of CVD and its risk factors is rapidly increasing [3] and it causes major burden on healthcare systems [4]. Although policy initiatives for prevention and control of CVD and other chronic diseases in India have been proposed earlier [4], some evidence for their efficacy is now emerging within the country. This is in addition to international evidence of efficacy of these measures [5]. This essay summarises current data on epidemiology of CVD in India and suggests evidence-based policy interventions for their prevention and control.
