High cardiovascular risks in a North Indian Agarwal community: A case series

Abstract

Community specific cardiovascular disease risk factor studies may be useful to evaluate genetic versus environmental causes. Agarwal is a high profile business community in India. A family based narrative from this community reveals a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases- stroke and coronary heart disease. This is associated with high prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors such as central obesity, hypertension, lipid abnormalities and diabetes. Another study in the same community in Jaipur reveals high prevalence of obesity associated with low physical activity and high dietary calorie and fat intake. Lifestyle factors appear to be mediator of the cardiovascular epidemic in this community. © 2009 Gupta and Agrawal; licensee Cases Network Ltd.