82 pct of Indian population suffers from high stress level

MUMBAI, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Almost 82 percent of Indian population are suffering from stress with major reasons being work, health and finance related issues, said a survey released Thursday by Cigna 360, a Global Health service company.

Stress levels in India remain very high compared with other developed and emerging countries, such as the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Australia. Most Indians affected are those in the age group of 35-49, the survey said.

The Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, now on its fifth year, aims to examine people's perceptions of well-being across five key indexes -- physical, family, social, financial and work.

"It's extremely worrying that 1 in 3 people don't think high blood pressure is curable with lifestyle change, as these silent conditions can lead to a deadly heart attack or stroke if untreated. A major finding of concern is that India has witnessed an alarming rise in the occurrence of heart disease and stroke in the past 25 years," said the release quoting Prasun Sikdar, MD and Chief Executive Officer, Cigna TTK Health Insurance.

Thus it is extremely important to increase awareness about a heart-healthy lifestyle for everyone, and not just for people with existing health problem to reduce the risk of heart disease and improve quality of wellbeing, Sikdar said.

About 96 percent of respondents in India felt that colleagues' stress has impacted the workplace compared to the global average of 91 percent.