A recent study conducted by India Health Link (IHL) in collaboration with HEAL Foundation found the link between obesity, hypertension, waist hip ratio, and CVDs in the Indian population. According to the Global Burden of disease, 24.8% of the total deaths in India are caused by CVD failures with an increased risk in the younger population.

The study titled “Preventing Heart Diseases in Youth: Growing evidence of a link between Waist Hip Ratio (WHR), BP & BMI and CVDs” had 68% men and 38% women in the Cohort pool. The test parameters included demographics, gender, age, BMI, BP, and Waist Hip Ratio. The study reported that 48% of the total population is either hypertensive or at risk with 30% having a high Waist Hip Ratio (WHR). 

Meanwhile, in a comparison between men and women, 37% of the total men were found to have higher stress levels than women (23%). However, 80% of the women were obese or overweight with 67% of the women cohort having high WHR. While only 67% of the men were reported to be obese or overweight with 28% of them having high WHR. Dr. H K Chopra, Sr. Consultant Cardiologist, Medanta Moolchand Heart Institute stated that metabolic syndromes such as obesity and hypertension were known factors behind the increased incidence of CVDs, however, WHR has been recently identified as a strong indicator of risk and early onset of cardiovascular disease.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/80-of-hypertensive-women-are-found-to-be-obese-or-overweight-and-67-of-them-have-a-high-waist-hip-ratio-whr-study/92242102 )