A doctor examines a person at the health camp in Patna on Tuesday. Telegraph picture

A random survey conducted by a non-government organisation in Patna has found 27 per cent of the polled candidates to be prone to heart attacks and ailments.

UK-based Heart Foundation conducted the survey among 200 people at the Buddha Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital in Patna on Monday and Tuesday. Twenty-seven per cent of the respondents, most of whom were aged between 20 and 30 years, were found prone to cardiac ailments as the level of their good cholesterol was low.

The level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) is an indicator of good cholesterol.

Dr Rajay Narain, a clinical research cardiologist at St George’s University Hospital, London, said: “Of the 200 people diagnosed, 54 were found with low HDL — an indicator of good cholesterol. A person with low HDL is considered to be at a greater risk of suffering from strokes or other heart ailments. It also means that there is acceleration in the formation of atherosclerosis, a condition where the arteries are blocked. It is important to maintain the HDL level, as it is one of the deciding factors for gauging if a person is prone to cardiac ailments or not.”

Narain, who runs the UK-based organisation, added: “We gave the respondents a questionnaire on their lifestyle and exercise routine. We found the people with low HDL not bothered about exercising. Most of them said exercise meant walking to their office or up to 1km.”

To avoid low HDL, he advised residents to follow a regime of brisk walking for 20 minutes at least five days a weak.

“Including fish in one’s diet is also advisable. Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which help maintain a person’s HDL. To avoid cardiac ailments, one also needs to stop smoking. Around 60 per cent of the respondents with low HDL level were smokers,” he added.

Narain urged the government to start screening programmes for heart ailments, which was supported by Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, the president of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association.

Heart Foundation will conduct screenings on December 14 (at Gaya College in Gaya), December 17-18 (on the Bihar Military Police campus in Patna) and December 24 (at Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna) to find the extent of heart diseases in the state.