Lifestyle diseases may cost India $160 bn

Close to 13 crore Indians may suffer from lifestyle diseases like heart attacks and diabetes in the next few years, leaving a $160 billion hole in the national economy between 2010 and 2015, an Assocham-PWC study said.

The national loss on account of these diseases was earlier estimated at around $100 billion between 2005 and 2009, it said.

"Due to tensions arising out of transitional liberalisation in working and social life, number of people with hypertension in India are expected to see a quantum leap of nearly 127.5 million (12.75 crore) in the next few years," it said.

It is estimated that deaths from these diseases would register a sharp increase to over 6 million by 2015 from 3.78 million in 1990.

India's loss in terms of losing potentially productive years due to deaths from cardiovascular diseases in people aged between 35-60 years is one of the highest in the world, the study said.

Citing reason for this, it said that since India is one of the fast growing developing countries and it has yet to create facilities to tackle these lifestyle killer diseases.

"India's national income is hard hit due to inadequate health centres even for routine check ups," it said adding due to pressures arising out of integrated economy most of the working population is working over time to retain their jobs.