World needs fresh research priorities and new policies to tackle changing patterns of chronic disease -- Mudur 331 (7517): 596 -- BMJ

World needs fresh research priorities and new policies to tackle changing patterns of chronic disease -- Mudur 331 (7517): 596 -- BMJ
(recommended by Maria Inês Reinert Azambuja)
/.../Studies from India, Brazil, and China indicate that low income and low educational level are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, greater use of tobacco, and a higher proportion of undetected disease and inadequate access to health care, he said.

Tobacco consumption has been shown to be inversely related to educational level among men in north India and among women in China. One Indian survey showed that 22% of people with a postgraduate qualification, 40% of people with a first degree, and 60% of school dropouts consumed tobacco. Studies in Brazil and Tanzania have shown an inverse relationship between economic status and body mass index: the higher the income, the lower the body mass index.

Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups also fare worse in access to clinical care. A survey of patients with hypertension in India showed that 45% of patients in one urban centre but only 9% of people in rural areas had been offered treatment.

"Governments will need to recognise the power of policy to influence human behaviour," Dr Reddy said. He argued for special policy interventions, such as taxes and price regulations, to change people’s patterns of consumption. Finland, Poland, and Mauritius provide examples of how policies can make a difference in consumption and minimise risk factors for cardiovascular disease, he said.