The prevalence of heart disease is increasing globally and also in developing countries like India, where the burden of disease is seen not only in old aged individuals, but also younger people. This study is designed to understand why people of South Asian Indian origin have an increased risk for developing heart disease. We believe that a relationship exists between early growth and adult cardiac structure and function and this would explain why Indians are more susceptible to heart disease in early ages. The study would also examine other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, lipid, glucose concentrations and life-style influences on heart disease in Indians. We believe that this research will lead to better understanding of the effects of fetal and childhood growth on adult heart structure and function, and may aid the future development of interventions to improve nutrition and growth in fetal life and childhood, as well as encouraging healthy adult lifestyles, to prevent heart disease.
The IndEcho study is conducted in Vellore Birth Cohort with departments of Biostatistics, Endocrinology and Cardiology at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore and in collaboration with the New Delhi Birth Cohort (NDBC) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. International collaboration includes University of Southampton (Prof. Caroline Fall) and University of Oxford (Prof. Fredrik Karpe), UK. The study is supported by funds from the British Heart Foundation, UK and is approved by the concerned ethics committees.
The study has already begun and includes detailed information on migration, socio-economic status, lifestyle, medical examination, measurement of height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, skin-fold thickness, hand-grip strength, body composition assessment using bioimpedence and Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry: Blood testing of glucose, insulin and lipids is done along with appropriate samples stored for future genetic studies. Cardiac evaluation includes ECG, Carotid-intimal thickness measurement and Echocardiography.
IndEcho study working team
- Field supervisor – Mr. Karnan
- Field workers – Mr. Kannan, Mr. Satish Kumar, Ms. Jayasudha, Ms. Kalaiselvi
- Driver – Mr. John Moses Data management/Statistician – Ms. Sneha Princy
- Administration – Mrs. Nirmala
- Nurse – Mrs. Ruth Ruby, Mrs. Sunitha
- Echo technicians – Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Ressa
