Whats up Doc? Health Insights for Medicos Aged 40-50: A Survey Analysis

As we celebrate World Heart day on the 29th of September, lets spare a thought for the people commisioned to take care of your heart: your doctor. Its unfortunately not uncommon to hear devastating news like young doctors getting sudden cardiac events(here). 

 It would make you wonder, why then, would the experts who themselves manage cardiac complications suffer from one themselves? Wouldn't they be more qualified to recognose and correct the risk factors if any? Recently, i decided to run a survey among my peers to assess basic health related behaviour among doctors. We circulated an online survey containing 11 questions regarding job, diet, exercise, food, sleeping habits. The data collected was totally anonymous. 

The link to the survey can be found here. 

 This blog delves into a survey dataset from an Excel sheet capturing lifestyle and health factors among medicos (medical professionals). We polled a total of 140 responses. Out of those 73% were medicos and around 27% were non medicos. The ages of the participants ranged between 28-82 years with a median age of around 44 years. The 40s are an interesting age group! This is the age at which your genetics and lifestyle choices start showing up on your health metrics. So to refine our statistics further, we have focussed on the 40-50 age group of doctors for cardiovascular health related metrics. Out of 74 responses in this age group, 73 are valid after excluding one invalid entry. Let's explore the findings, incorporating detailed statistics on metabolic issues, exercise, BMI, and cardiac checkups. 

  Metabolic Problems and Overall Health : Among the total 140 respondents, 74 fit into the criterias of "medico" and "40-50" age group.This is the cohort which we have primarily analysed in this blog.About 25.68% of these medicos (1 in 4 individuals) reported metabolic problems like diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, or borderline conditions. This is noteworthy, as medicos might have better awareness about such conditions but still face risks due to demanding careers. Smoking is low, with 90.54% abstaining, and diets are mostly balanced (85.14% include vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins). Stress levels are moderate, predominantly rated 3-4 on a 5-point scale, while sleep averages 6-7 hours for 77.03%.

Cardiac Checkups: Awareness in Action : 

 

Routine cardiac checkups are essential for this age group. In the cohort, 52.70% (39 medicos) have undergone one.Conversely around 48 % doctors above forty did not get a routine cardiac checkup done. Among those doctors with metabolic problems, a higher 68.42% (13 out of 19) have done a cardiac checkup, showing proactive behavior. This could stem from professional knowledge, but the remaining 31.58% in the same subgroup without checkups highlight a gap even among medicos. Encouraging annual screenings could mitigate risks. 

Exercise Habits: Moving Towards Better Health : 

  Exercise is a cornerstone of heart health. A sedentary life and sitting for too long have been associated with an increased risk of cardiac disease. The American heart association reccomends atleast 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise along with atleast 2 days of high intensity muscle strenghthening exercises. The survey asks about days per week with at least 30 minutes of moderate activity. Only 8.11% (6 medicos) exercise more than 150 minutes weekly (equivalent to 6-7 days, or >5 days per week). Conversely,52.70% (39 medicos) exercise less than 150 minutes (0-1 or 2-3 days, roughly <120-150 class="separator" div="" minutes="" style="clear: both;">

Such a graph highlights the skew towards moderate but inconsistent exercise.

 

BMI and High-Risk Combinations : BMI offers insights into weight-related risks.( Though i agree that BMI isn't the best index for body composition, Waist circumference wouldve been a better metric to capture!) Over half (50.68%, or 37 medicos) have a BMI greater than 24, entering overweight territory (40.54% had BMI 24-29, 9.46% >30)

What does the data look like among non medicos? 

 The number of non medicos in the 40-50 age group was low (12 nos) hence the data might be skewed. Around 84 % respondents were non smokers with moderate self reported stress levels. Around 50% worked a full time job and had decent dietary habits. The number of people with metabolic conditions were 25%. In this subgroup, around 42% of respondents has a cardiac check done. Around 50% had a BMI of more than 24. So the responses of Medico Vs Non Medico are kind of similar. 

  Key Takeaways and Recommendations : 

 We've focussed on the 40-50 age group as these are young professionals nearing the peak of their professional lives.In casual conversations, most doctors would agree to getting a cardiac checkup done after 40, but almost half of the doctors polled havent had one themselves!Also almost 50% of medicos are self reportedly overweight with almost 10% being "obese" ( BMI > 30).This is despite most of the respondents reporting to have decently healthy dietary habits! The physical activity among the cohort is also quite low with less than 10% meeting the AHA guidelines of atleast 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. Medicos in private practice (54.05%) might face more variable schedules, contributing to higher stress (38% reported a rate of 4-5). Overall, while 74.32% report no metabolic issues, the 25.68% who do , show better checkup adherence. 

  To improve: 

As doctors we need to be more cognizant about our health. Doctors should aim for atleast 150+ minutes of moderate exercise weekly. With increasing age and slowing metabolisms, maintaining BMI under 25 becomes important in the long run. Getting a routine cardiac evaluation post 40 years should aslo be an important activity for all medicos. As medicos, leading by example can inspire patients too.