Chennai: According to the World Health Organisation, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is the number one cause of deaths across the globe, and the numbers are increasing in India too.
CVD is also a costly disease to treat and can cause a huge economic burden on the patient, and his/her family. For India in particular, CVD has become a severe cause of concern, owing to the disease’s accelerated buildup, early age of onset in the population and the high case fatality rate.
Some factors that have contributed to the rise of CVD cases across India include the south Asian genetic makeup and its proneness to the disease, the ever changing lifestyle, lack of exercise, dietary imbalance and a high intake of saturated and/or trans fats amongst the population.
A recent research by Tufts University shows that eating almonds compared to not eating almonds may help reduce healthcare costs associated with cardiovascular disease among US consumers.
The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of almond consumption in preventing coronary heart disease through changes in LDL cholesterol levels in the US population, using both short-term base case analysis and 10-year risk prevention. The researchers developed a model to assess the relationship between eating 42.5g of almonds per day versus no almond intake.