20 percent Kathmanduites face stroke risk

KATHMANDU, April 9: One-fifth of the total population of Kathmandu, especially people aged between 25 to 64, are at a high risk of having a stroke, heart failure and kidney failure as they are hypertensive, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoPH) says.



The survey that led to some alarming findings indicates that people living in the urban areas are at a high risk of developing non-communicable diseases.[break]



According to the survey, obesity is a very common physical condition among the people living in Kathmandu, while tobacco consumption is common among youngsters.



The study based on a sample of 2,030 respondents between the ages of 25-64 also found that four percent of Kathmandu´s population is diabetic.



The survey principally focused on the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, physical inactivity, nutrition, weight, and blood pressure.



Tobacco



According to the survey, women in Kathmandu start smoking earlier than men. On an average, women start using tobacco before 18, whereas men after 20.

However, only 10 percent women were found to be habitual users, which is half the percentage of habitual male users. An additional three percent were found to be occasional users of tobacco.



Kathmandu´s male smokers smoke nearly 10 cigarettes a day, while women smoke seven.



The survey shows t young users of tobacco are more inclined to use smokeless tobacco than cigarettes. “It indicates that smokeless tobacco is more popular among young adults,” the report says. Among the total users of smokeless tobacco, more than 80 percent chew Pan Parag.



Only 52 pc lifetime teetotalers



Of the respondents, 48 pc had consumed alcohol at least once in life. Of them, 63 were males, while 33 pc were females.



Binge drinking for men was 49 days per year, while it stood at 28 days per year for women.



Obesity



The study found that 27 pc males and 42 pc females living in the metropolis are overweight.



“Obesity increased with age and women were more obese than their male counterparts,” the report says.



The study shows seven out of 10 men and 9 out of 10 women are physically inactive, meaning they do less than two-and-a-half hours of moderate physical work per week.



“It clearly indicates that most of the people are vulnerable to non communicable disease,” the survey says.



The study shows a majority of people do no take sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables that lessen the risk of communicable diseases. Among the respondents sampled for the survey, 1,010 were men and 1,020 were women. Sample selection was conducted on the basis of random sampling method.

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