heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of conditions and disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels (arteries and veins). In 2019, CVD killed 17.9 million people worldwide, or 32% of global deaths. In India, according to the Global Burden of Disease, 24.8% of all deaths are due to CVD, which is 272 per lakh population.
types of heart diseases
While there are a variety of diseases and conditions that affect the heart, the most prevalent in India are: coronary heart disease (or coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease), cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and hypertensive heart disease. “While coronary artery disease affects the affluent, rheumatic disease tends to affect the lower-income group in India. Earlier, coronary disease used to affect people above 40 years of age, but now younger people are also suffering,” says Dr Vinay Kumar Behl, Principal Director, Max Hospital, and former Dean and Head of Cardiology, AIIMS, Delhi.
how much do you spend
The expense starts with a visit to the doctor, moves on to diagnosis where you pay for a number of tests, and finally the treatment is based on its course and length. If the condition can be treated with medication, it costs you relatively little, but it can last a lifetime.
In case of severe damage, you may require surgical intervention, in which the cost of the procedure, equipment and hospitalization can run into millions. The cost may be less if you get treated in a government hospital or have adequate insurance, but may be higher if you choose a private hospital. The drugs will cost less if you buy generic drugs as opposed to branded, patented drugs. We will only consider the cost of the procedures in a private hospital in Delhi, and does not include the cost of hospitalisation.