Not just classic markers like cholesterol, people are looking for advanced diagnostics for advanced cardiovascular risk markers like homocysteine and lipoproteins.
Heart attacks and heart attack deaths have been of widespread concern following the CoVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: AFP/File)
Lipid profile, heart health and fitness screening – these are some of the new words that many Indians have added to their vocabulary in 2024. Not just cholesterol, people are moving beyond understanding modern heart risk markers like homocysteine and lipoproteins.
The change was initiated due to wider concerns over heart attacks and deaths due to heart attacks following the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last two years, Indians have seen several celebrities like Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, actor Siddharth Shukla, singer KK, Bollywood actor Satish Kaushik and comedian Raju Shrivastava suffer fatal heart attacks.
While the trend was unfortunate, there is a silver lining. Many Indians – young, middle-aged, and old – have embraced the concept of preventive health, especially when it comes to heart health.
People are approaching doctors and nutritionists with an open mind to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as cooking more at home and cutting out fried or ultra-processed foods. In fact, cardiologists have seen an increased desire to get regular heart checks and try to walk more.
Experts said News 18 That for the first time, patients are asking “how can I prevent future risk” instead of waiting for symptoms to appear?
This trend is consistent with data reported by several evaluation chains. Top labs including Metropolis, Dr Lalpath Labs and 1MG have seen a similar trend where they believe a “significant shift” is coming to the healthcare landscape.
‘Life is fragile’: Doctors see change
By now, it’s clear that for many, the post-Covid era serves as a wake-up call.
‘How to include protein in my daily diet’, or ‘what changes should I make in my lifestyle’ are the top questions that Dr Shruti K Bhardwaj, Chief Clinical Nutritionist at Zeds Hospitals, Ahmedabad, faces with her clients. what is
“Now people are coming to me and asking logical questions, as before they were very adamant about changing their diet or routine,” said Dr Bhardwaj, calling it a “remarkable change”. Giving said that is no longer through fad diets but sustainably and sustainably. Balanced nutrition.
“The will to improve is stronger than ever,” he said, counting down the top five changes he noticed last year.
This includes families cooking more at home, reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods, awareness of micronutrient deficiencies, better hydration habits, and a focus on immunity through whole foods.
Similarly, Dr. Satish L, Consultant Cardiologist at Sparsh Hospital, Bengaluru, has observed three significant changes in his patients.
“The desire to get regular heart screenings, real efforts to be physically active, and an increased focus on stress management. For the first time, patients are asking, ‘How can I prevent future risks?’ Instead of waiting for symptoms, Dr Satish said, adding that this proactive mindset was “encouraging” and the grim reality of the pandemic made people realize “how fragile life is”.
“It created a sense of responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle – not just for yourself but for your family. People now understand the importance of good diet, exercise and medical check-ups, realizing that today’s Small steps can prevent major crises tomorrow,” added Dr Satish.
Witness the Change Diagnostic Labs
According to Surendran Chemankotal, CEO, Metropolis Healthcare: “Post-Covid, people are prioritizing their health more than ever, driving the preventive healthcare sector to an estimated US$197 billion by 2025. which are growing at a strong CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 22%.”
This growth has been driven by increased awareness, a growing aging population, increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases, and a shift towards early detection. These trends reflect changing consumer behavior, emphasizing the importance of addressing health concerns early.
In the metropolis, he said, the change was clearly evident. “Between 2019 and 2022, revenues from the wellness segment accounted for 7% to 8% of total revenue. This share doubled to 14% to 16% between 2023 and 2024, which is due to preventive health. Due to increased demand for inspections,” he added.
Between FY23 and FY24, revenue from welfare packages grew by 23%, company data shows. Similarly, demand for cardiac diagnostics, such as lipid profiles, has increased, leading to a focus on heart health and preventive care.
Other labs across India have seen a similar trend.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how people look at their health,” said Shankha Banerjee, CEO of Dr Lalpath Labs.
Banerjee said the company has seen a significant increase in demand for health check-ups, especially those that include cardiac profiling tests and lipid profile assessments. “This growing interest in preventive care is reflected in the strong performance of Dr. Lal PathLabs’ SwasthFit™ portfolio, which has seen a CAGR of 25% in the last year and 30% in the last three years,” he said.
For example, the company’s Lipid Profile reviews have seen an increase of more than 25 percent in the past two years, highlighting the growing awareness of heart health. “Demand for preventive care is expected to continue to grow,” he added.
Not only classic tests, people are opting for advanced markers. There is a clear trend among health-savvy consumers looking for advanced health diagnostic methods – demand for advanced cardiovascular health markers such as HsCRP, homocysteine, apolipoprotein A/B, lipoprotein etc. is, and also early screening/markers for conditions. Like cancer is gaining more traction,” said Prashant Tandon, CEO of 1MG.
HsCRP reflects the risk of heart attack and stroke while elevated homocysteine levels indicate the risk of dementia, heart disease and stroke. Similarly, apolipoprotein also indicates the risk level of heart disease and lipoprotein characterizes the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease.
“Basic and general health tests (diabetes, cardiac, liver and kidney function tests, thyroid, etc.) are being done more regularly by consumers than before, though there is still a long way to go,” Tandon said. Tandon added that higher employee and insurance participation will drive the market.
In short, the pandemic has reminded people that ‘health is wealth’ and the sudden increase in heart problems has made people realize that prevention is better than cure. This awareness has led more and more people to seek professional help – be it a dietitian or a doctor – and prioritize regular health check-ups.