Cardiovascular Diseases Lead As India’s Top Killer: US Cardiologist Points Out Risk Factors

Indians are facing an increasing burden of heart diseases, and mortality is rising faster compared to other countries. A top US cardiologist has now shared the major risk factors that range from genetics to obesity to pollution.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause nearly 31 per cent of all deaths in India, according to the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2021-2023 data from the Registrar General of India, released in September 2025.

The SRS report highlighted cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death, especially among adults over 30.

Speaking exclusively to HealthandMe, Dr. Sripal Bangalore, Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, highlighted the key reasons why India is seeing a huge burden of heart diseases.

"I think it’s a combination of traditional and non-traditional risk factors. Globally, we are seeing the burden of obesity increasing, and specifically in India, genetic factors and non-traditional risk factors also play a role," Dr. Sripal said.

"There is a growing investigation into lipoprotein(a) and other causes of cardiovascular disease (in India). Obesity is a major risk factor, and I’m sure stress and pollution also add to it, with more and more data supporting these links," he added.

Data from the World Heart Federation showed that heart disease kills 28.6 lakh Indians every year. In the recent past, India has also been seeing a significantly higher rate of heart attacks and related deaths, even in children as young as 12 years old.

What Factors Are Driving This Trend

"I think we need to know that part of it tends to be non-traditional, because in the Western world most of it is explainable by traditional risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia," Dr. Sripal said.

"What we see in India is that it is less about those risk factors, but more about non-traditional ones, including potentially genetic factors and lipoprotein(a)," the doctor added.

The Indian-origin interventional cardiologist also cited lifestyle factors such as stress and pollution that are significantly adding to the increased risk of cardiovascular events in the country.

AHA 2026 Cholesterol Guidelines: Relevance For India

Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) released cholesterol guidelines, which stressed the importance of early screening,starting wit teenagers.

The guidelines call for early intervention through early screening and healthy lifestyle changes, starting from childhood.

It recommends:

• Children (9-11 years): Cholesterol screening if never done before.
• Adults (30-79 years): Evaluate 10- and 30-year ASCVD risk to determine the need for early intervention

While the guidelines are "relevant overall" for all , the doctor stressed the need to personalize the recommendations based on each country and practice.

"India is a good example where LDL levels (bad cholesterol) may not be very high, like in the Western world. Many times, HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) tends to be lower, and there are other risk factors, including lipoprotein(a), which seems to be elevated here," Dr. Sripal said.

How To Improve Heart Health

The doctor also explained whether overall diet quality matters more than just cholesterol intake.

"Diet adds to the totality of everything that we do, including increasing the risk of obesity. Cholesterol may explain some part of it, but having a heart-healthy diet is critically important," Dr. Sripal said.

The cardiologist highlighted the need to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables, as consuming natural foods is critically important.

Importantly, he also emphasized at least making sure that you have a lipid panel to check your cholesterol levels.

"We are assuming that you are staying healthy and not smoking. Checking blood pressure, it depends on your age, but at least once a year, checking your lipid panel would be critically important," Dr. Sripal told HealthandMe.

As a cardiologist, he shared that to boost heart health, the key is

• to make sure that you lead a healthy lifestyle,
• stay away from smoking,
• increase physical activity,
• reduce stress.

"I mean, it’s easier said than done, but I think it is critically important to reduce stress," he said.

"Pollution is one factor, and I think we can all do our part to make sure that we don’t contribute more to environmental pollution," he noted.

 

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Dementia: Know about various risk factors linked to dementia

Risk Factors Linked to Dementia

Dementia is not a single disease; it's an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, similar to heart disease. Abnormal brain changes cause the disorders grouped under the umbrella term "dementia."

The changes cause a decline in thinking abilities, also known as cognitive abilities, that are severe enough to interfere with daily life and independence. They also have an impact on one's behaviour, emotions, and relationships. People who have a high genetic risk of dementia can live a healthier lifestyle and reduce their chances of developing the disease.

Dementia is more common as people grow older (about one-third of all people age 85 or older may have some form of dementia) but it is not a normal part of aging.

Some of the risk factors are as follows - 

Blood pressure

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, harms the heart, blood vessels, and brain, and increases the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. When your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90 mmHg, you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. It's a serious condition that leads to heart attacks and strokes all over the world. High blood pressure will be diagnosed in 1.56 billion people worldwide by 2025, according to estimates.

Blood sugar level

Blood sugar, or glucose, levels that are higher than normal can cause diabetes and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Also, measure your meals and snacks, and keep an eye on your food portions to manage your blood sugar. Use measuring cups and a food scale at home.

Unhealthy diet

Limit other fats and sugars while consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and seafood, unsaturated fats like olive oil, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, and unsaturated fats like olive oil. A healthy diet is important for preventing malnutrition in all of its forms, as well as a variety of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions. However, dietary patterns have shifted as a result of the increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization, and changing lifestyles.

Limiting social interaction

Connecting with others and participating in social activities can help to prevent social isolation and loneliness, both of which have been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

Hearing issues

Hearing loss can make it more difficult to interact with others and can affect cognition and dementia risk in older adults. If a person's hearing deteriorates in middle age, their risk of developing dementia later in life rises. This could be due to a variety of factors, including:

-Hearing loss can cause people to withdraw from social situations and become increasingly isolated over time. This can deplete their cognitive reserve (see 'Cognitive reserve' above for more information).

-Struggling to hear things may make it more difficult for other mental processes to function properly.

Alcohol consumption

Too much alcohol can cause falls and exacerbate health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, memory loss, and mood disorders. The effects of cigarette consumption and alcohol drinking on dementia among elderly people have been paid attention to. The association of smoking and alcohol drinking with dementia risk has shown various results in past studies.

Age and genetics

These are the two biggest risk factors for dementia in most people. A number of genes that increase the risk of dementia have been discovered by researchers. Although people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease are thought to be at a higher risk of developing the disease, many people who have relatives with dementia, never get it, and many people who don't have a family history of the disease do. In FTDP-17 and several other types of dementia, abnormal genes are clearly implicated as risk factors.

By the time they reach middle age, many people with Down's syndrome have neurological and behavioural signs of dementia.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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