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 With the lack of social bonding and the lopsided work-life balance accentuating anxiety level among urban Indians in the confinement period and triggering heart disease risks, the number of cardiovascular ailment cases is expected to increase exponentially amid the pandemic.

In fact, the Covid-led restrictions have heightened stress and hypertension among urban people in the absence of social bonding and networking and underscored heart complications in the past few months.

These revelations are found in a study conducted by Bharti AXA General Insurance which attempted to gain a better understanding into the psyche of the urban Indian consumers during the lockdown and its subsequent period.

On the World Heart Day, which aims to create more awareness around this unnoticed phenomenon, the Bharti AXA Health and Wellness Study aims to alert that cardiovascular disease risks are faced with a double-edged threat in the time of Covid-19, when people are more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus and they are not doing enough to seek care for their heart and health.

"We are living in unprecedented times. The need to be conscious and wary of our physical health and well-being has never been more crucial than it is now. Evident through this study, stress can be an invisible but major contributor to heart disorders as it is a leading cause of cardiovascular ailments. At Bharti AXA General, we take pride in going the extra mile to understand the challenges and experiences that people face in terms of their health and financial safety during these anomalous times," said Sanjeev Srinivasan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti AXA General Insurance.

As per an estimate by the World Health Organisation, with around 1.7 million deaths in 2016 being attributed to this dreaded ailment, heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in India. Lifestyle, diet, lack of sleep, weight, consumption of alcohol and unhealthy habits such as smoking are some of the immediate causes.

Similarly, according to a medical study, the risk of Indians contracting coronary heart disease is around 3 to 4 times higher than that of Americans, 6 times higher than the Chinese and 20 times higher than the Japanese.

The research study, which interacted with over 1,000 consumers aged over 18 years and above across multiple cities, revealed that older respondents seemed far more apprehensive about not being able to socialize. Almost 50 per cent of respondents above the age of 45 experienced anxiety due to not being able to meet friends or family members as compared to only 36 per cent of respondents between the age of 18 and 34.

A major finding with regard to individuals work-life balance, 40 per cent of respondents from Ahmedabad, 50 per cent of respondents from Jaipur and 36 per cent of respondents from Lucknow were keen about adhering to strict deadlines about starting and ending their work days as compared to 33 per cent of respondents from Delhi, 28 per cent of respondents from Bangalore and only 27 per cent of respondents from Mumbai. As many as 58 per cent of respondents from Mumbai and 52 per cent of respondents from Bangalore admitted that their working hours had increased due to no clear boundaries. Interestingly, a recent study noted that screen fatigue is causing strain epidemic among kids and work from home employees.

While comparing the focus on health among men and women, the study showed that 54 per cent of men responded that they have either started or are maintaining an exercise routine as compared to 50 per cent of women who claimed to be doing the same. About 41 per cent of men were focusing on maintaining relationships virtually as compared to 39 per cent of women. Women who were handling both home and office were experiencing higher fatigue (53 per cent) whereas men handling both these activities were claiming that they seem to have extra time for both work and home related chores (56 per cent).

Srinivasan pointed out that "World Heart Day is a reminder for organizations, communities and individuals to converse about increasing risks of heart ailments in the ongoing pandemic and wants us to be prudent in maintaining a healthy lifestyle amid growing challenges. This not only requires one to follow proper diets, get adequate sleep and avoid unhealthy habits but wants us to be cognizant of our mental health and lifestyle."