Kerala women 

• Approximately 40% of CAD (coronary artery disease) death in women occur before the age of 65 years compared to 60% in men.¹ Women with  a heart attack have more than double the mortality compared to men (23% vs. 9%) with diabetic women having even higher mortality.²

• The age-adjusted CAD mortality rates are 128 per 100,000  for women and 382 per 100,000 for men.¹ At every age group CAD mortality is less than half in women as in men but increases 200-fold between ages 25 and 75 years (from 8 per 100,000 to 1640/100,00).¹ The CAD mortality doubles between ages 25 and 35 and triples for every decade thereafter.¹

Table 108 A. The age-specific CAD mortality rates per 100,0001
	25-34yrs	35-44yrs	45-54yrs	55-64yrs	65-74yrs	>75yrs
Men	17	59	248	669	1557	3501
Women	8	17	60	182	513	1640

 

• CAD mortality rate among women lags behind men by 10 years in all age groups. For example, the CAD mortality rate for a woman in the age group 45-54 years is similar to a man 35-44 years (Table 108 A).¹

• For women, CAD mortality rises nearly 3-fold for every 10 year increase in age starting from age 25.

• For men, compared to the 35-44 age group, CAD mortality rises 4-fold in the 45-54 age group and then double for every decade thereafter.

• The prevalence of risk factors are particularly high among women in rural Kerala compared to women in the rest of India (Figure 036).

• Tobacco use and alcohol intake are very infrequent in Kerala women.³ The prevalence of high blood pressure, high triglycerides and low HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels are lower than in men in Kerala.^{2, 3}

• Women have a higher prevalence of obesity, and abdominal obesity compared to men.^{2, 3} Prevalence of obesity (Body Mass Index >25) is 38% in women compared to 24% in men.³ Abdominal obesity is found in one half of women in Kerala and one third of men.^{3, 4} 

• Women have a higher prevalence of diabetes. However, they are  more likely to be aware of diabetes and be treated than men, although their control rates were much lower.³

Sources 

1. Soman C. R, Kutty VR, Safraj S, Vijayakumar K, Rajamohanan K, Ajayan K. All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Mortality in Kerala State of India: Results From a 5-Year Follow-up of 161 942 Rural Community Dwelling Adults. Asia Pac J Public Health. May 10 2010.

2. Misiriya K. J, Sudhayakumar N, Khadar SA, George R, Jayaprakasht VL, Pappachan JM. The clinical spectrum of acute coronary syndromes: experience from a major center in Kerala. J Assoc Physicians India. May 2009;57:377-383.

3. Thankappan K R, Shah B, Mathur P, et al. Risk factor profile for chronic non-communicable diseases: results of a community-based study in Kerala, India. Indian J Med Res. Jan 2010;131:53-63.

4. Shah B, Mathur P. Surveillance of cardiovascular disease risk factors in India: the need & scope. Indian J Med Res. Nov 2010;132(5):634-642.