Apollo Health of the Nation Report shows a steady rise in NCDs Apollo ProHealth #WorldHealthDay

This world health day let’s pledge to tackle NCDs (Non Communicable diseases) with significant attention and focus. On account of world heart day, I’ve attended the virtual seminar conducted by the Apollo Hospitals Group that puts the spotlight on the Health of the Nation.

Motto: Unveils the Report Health of the Nation 2021that acknowledges the global burden and threat of NCDs (non-communicable diseases) across the country. Importance of early identification, treatment, and management of diseases using AI, ML, and data analytics.

As per the Health of the Nation report, there is a steady rise in NCDs in the last 2 decades. It has risen to 64.9% in comparison to communicable and other diseases that are reduced to 25%. The study provides a bigger picture based on data collected on the basis of 37 years of experience and the vast footprint of the Apollo Hospitals. It highlights the importance of Artificial Intelligence and Big data analytics that can help to predict risk and prevent NCDs.

Also, due to pandemics, NCDs like heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, kidney diseases, and chronic liver disease have come up with rising in mortality risk from COVID-19.

As per the Apollo Health of the Nation report, the alarming trends for the Sandwich generation are on risks of NCDs.

• NCDs contribute to 65% all deaths in the country
• Age group 30-60 yr are at risk of NCDs (cholesterol, hypertension, Obesity)
• The covid and NCDs together increases the mortality rate risks by 4 times
• 57% of age group 30-60 yr is at risk of pre-diabetes and complications in future.
• Various causes like stress, finances, hectic lifestyles 30-60 age group are at risk.
• It’s beyond gender, beyond income and beyond geography. NCDs threats are in male and female, urban and rural population, high and low income.

Pro-Health is a unique, personalized proactive health program. It is empowered by Artificial intelligence and predictive algorithm. It is built on 22 million health checks, led by medical experts to make you healthier.

1. It predicts your risk.
2. Prevent premature health events.
3. Help in overcoming chronic lifestyle diseases.

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “According to Health of the Nation report, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) treatment causing a rise in an unacceptable loss of lives take a setback that led to the epidemic of NCDs. Hence, it’s important to take our health seriously to overcome the NCDs.”

“Apollo ProHealth is a proactive personalized health management program backed by cutting-edge technology – advanced diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and predictive algorithms – to help identify your health risk. It coaches you to stay on the path to wellness until your health goals are achieved. With Apollo ProHealth, we hope to change the health check paradigm from a long checklist of tests to a meaningful conversation with the doctor on the status of your health, with a comprehensive plan to make you healthier tomorrow than you are today. Today, on World Health Day, on behalf of the Apollo Hospitals Group, I dedicate Apollo ProHealth to the health of our nation!”

NCDs affect our country’s productivity as well as economic growth. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda of United Nations; the target is too premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. The pandemic has increased the risk and impact of NCDs on manifolds.

Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Apollo Hospitals’ commitment is to the health of the nation, with a vision to make our nation healthier. With the urgent need to respond to the challenge of non-communicable diseases, we cannot afford a pure treatment and curative approach to health. We believe that a focus on prevention will be transformative for the health of the nation. We are harnessing the power of technology to develop new methodologies for screening, detection, and patient risk profiling. Apollo is the first to adopt Artificial Intelligence and Big data analytics to predict risk and personalize care.

NCDs cause 65% of the total death in India. There is a need for early detection, Timely treatment to tackle the risks from NCDs. The report reveals the prevailing of the NCDs across various factors like occupations, economic segments, demographics, disease trends, etc. This will help to prevent disease, increase early diagnosis, help in a more personalized treatment approach.

Dr. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “The highest prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes is seen in 45-60-year-olds. Amongst the diabetics, around 50% also have hypertension and are obese. 60% have a sedentary life. Around 60% of these diabetics are also leading a sedentary lifestyle. The data shows a marginal lower incidence of NCDs in women and also economically.”

Metros and Indian suburbs like Delhi NCR – Punjab & Haryana Belt, Kolkata, entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad belt, Hyderabad and Chennai, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, also rural areas of MP, Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, parts of Orissa and Gujarat there are significant diabetes and hypertensive population.

Prof. Nirmal Kumar Ganguly. Former Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research and President, Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation said, “The community health model, aims to reduce premature NCD-related deaths in rural areas was launched in 2013 in Aragonda, Chittoor district. The program saw 31,350 people classified as low risk, moderate risk, and high risk, according to their ten-year risk of developing NCDs, and proactively managed with regular follow-up, investigations, medication, clinical interventions, counseling, and lifestyle modifications for diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. In addition, the program also addresses all other social determinants of health in the country (e.g., drinking water, nutrition, kitchen gardening, livelihood generation) to beyond just health to ‘Total Care’ for ‘Total Health’.”

Under this program, 1,980 diabetic and hypertensive patients have been put under regular follow-up, with proper investigations, medication, and counseling, and lifestyle modifications. Also, 5,391 rural women were screened for cancer and 17 early cancer cases (cervix and breast) were diagnosed and further managed with appropriate health intervention services free of cost.

With early detection 80% of mortality from NCDs is preventable. There is a need to focus on regular health check-ups along with AI-enabled tools to detect NCDs early.

Dr. Sujoy Kar, Chief Medical Information Officer said, “The study helps to predict risks and prevent NCDs epidemic. One such example is to evaluate and manage the High Sensitive Troponin-I (hsTnI) categorical CVD risk in subjects undergoing preventive health checks (PHC).“

“AI and predictive algorithms can predict risk, prevent premature health events, and overcome chronic lifestyle diseases when caught early. For example, we have developed a Cardiovascular Risk Score (AICVD) in the Indian population and it is now prospectively used and followed up on 33000 individuals as part of ProHealth to predict the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

The clinical tools use AI and data analytics to identify NCDs early, predict the risk of cardiovascular disease, asthma, liver fibrosis in NAFLD, breast cancer, pre-diabetes, and stroke.