Contrary to general perception, the latest study by doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital reveals that Indians suffer more from Coronary Artery Disease because of their smaller body surface area and not because of their smaller diameters of arteries.
The researchers from the Department of Cardiology and Radiology have found that Indians do not have an increased risk for Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Disease) because of their smaller diameters of arteries, but because of their smaller body surface area.
The study was conducted on 250 patients and was published in the Journal of the Indian College of Cardiology on September 14th, 2022.
Dr JPS Sawhney, author and chairman, of the Department of Cardiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital observed, “We have found that 51 per cent were hypertensive, 18 per cent were diabetic, 4 per cent were smokers, 28 per cent were dyslipidemic and 26 per cent had a family history of heart disease.”
According to Dr Ashwani Mehta, author & senior consultant, Department of Cardiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “The study found that the mean vessel diameters for males were significantly larger than those for females, but when indexed to body surface area, these values are not significant.”
“There had been an assumption that Asians, particularly Indians, have an increased risk for atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in arteries) because of their small coronary artery diameters. However, from our observational study, it is proved that the coronary artery dimensions in the Indian population are not small, but it is due to their small body surface area that puts them at risk,” Dr Mehta explained.
“Thus, the rationale for small dimensions of arteries being a risk factor for coronary artery disease is not valid in the Indian population,” said the doctor.
According to Dr Bhuvnesh Kandpal, author and senior consultant, Department of Cardiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “This study was done to estimate the size of normal coronary arteries in the Indian population, index it to BSA, and see if there is any significant difference when compared to the Caucasian population.”
“This study also might provide some insight into the use of diameters indexed to BSA as a cutoff for deciding the need for revascularization (a procedure that can restore blood flow in blocked arteries or veins),” Dr Kandpal suggests.