Cardiovascular Disease Witness a 40% Spike Among Millennials: SBI General Insurance

Marking World Heart Day, claims data by SBI General Insurance, one of the fastest growing general insurance companies in India, shows that claims related to Cardiovascular Diseases in the age group of 35 & below have risen alarmingly - a 40% increment in FY16-17 as compared to FY15-16.

In the 35-45 age group, the data reflects a 32% increase in claims for the commensurate period. Interestingly, according to the data, claims in the age group of 55-60 years and 65 years & above have declined by 13% and 25% respectively in FY16-17 as compared to FY15-16. Thus demonstrating the fact that cardiovascular ailments are no longer restricted to individuals within older age groups.

Appended are a few interesting trends that emerged: 

§  Claims by males went up by 12% in FY16-17 as compared to FY15-16, while those by females witnessed a slight reduction of 5% during the same time period

§  Various studies have shown that while males are more prone to heart diseases, females are likely to develop heart diseases at a later age as female hormones provide protection until menopause

§  Increased stress, sedentary lifestyles and long working hours have increased the risk of heart diseases amongst individuals today

§  Overall, cardiovascular diseases ranked second after those of the digestive system in terms of percentage of total amount paid for non-communicable diseases for both FY15-16 and FY16-17

§  Karnataka is a state known for awareness when it comes to heart and related ailments as many specialist hospitals have come up in the region. Yet it has seen almost double an increase in number of claims made in FY16-17 from FY15-16.

Sukhesh Bhave, Deputy Vice President - Accident & Health Claims, SBI General Insurance said, “At SBI General Insurance, we are aligned to the cause of spreading awareness about the increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases in India and are committed to promoting a healthy and balanced lifestyle across ages. Within our data, majority of the claims settled under cardiovascular diseases are for Ischemic Heart Disease, Angioplasty, Myocardial Infarction, Rheumatic Heart diseases and CABG surgeries.”

He added, “Our data points to the increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases amongst millennials given increased stress, long working hours and sedentary lifestyles. Exercise and a healthy diet are crucial in order to keep such ailments at bay.”

World Heart Day, celebrated on September 29 every year, is the world's biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular diseases. It aims to drive action to educate people on how heart diseases and strokes can be avoided. Each year, the celebration has a different theme, reflecting key issues and topics relating to heart health. In 2017, the focus is on creating heart-healthy environments.