The study shows that a family-based lifestyle intervention aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk of heart attack patients and their family members was cost-effective.At a busy emergency department of a district hospital in Kerala, 36-year-old Ramesh, the sole earning member of his family, was rushed in with severe, crushing chest pain. He had a premature heart attack, eerily similar to the one that claimed his father’s life at just 42. Apart from this history, Ramesh’s condition was the result of multiple, long-standing risk factors like poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol levels. These were compounded by smoking, frequent binge-drinking, physical inactivity and a high-salt diet. What could be done to protect his heart health?Like many working adults juggling professional and family responsibilities, his health had taken a back seat until it could no longer be ignored. Following timely angioplasty, Ramesh was given a second chance. But given the costs of an emergency procedure, he could hardly afford another. Instead, the doctors thought about a more holistic and long-lasting heart health maintenance protocol. They got the entire family involved, counselled them and convinced them to make meaningful lifestyle changes considering there was a family history.They adopted regular weekly exercise routines, shifted to balanced low-salt meals rich in fruits and vegetables, eliminated smoking and tobacco use and prioritised routine health checkups and monitoring instead of skipping them. “These changes were followed not only by Ramesh but by every member of the family. Two years later Ramesh lost 7 kg, had a well-controlled blood pressure and healthy lipid levels. His journey shows that when families adopt healthier lifestyles together, they not only prevent recurrent illness but also protect themselves from avoidable financial hardship,” says Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal, epidemiologist and senior health researcher at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, who led a PROLIFIC study in Kerala.Also read | Subtle red flags of early heart disease in men below 45What the trial findings meanFindings from the PROLIFIC trial (supported by the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance) in Kerala has shown that investing in preventive care at the family level can lead to meaningful health improvements while reducing future hospitalisation costs.The trial enrolled 1,671 family members aged 18 or older. Participants were divided into two groups: one received a structured lifestyle intervention, while the other received usual care. The intervention involved non-physician health workers who conducted home visits to screen for key cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Participants were counselled to adopt healthier diets, increase physical activity, and quit tobacco and alcohol and were linked to nearby health facilities when required.The usual care group received a single counselling session and annual health check-ups.Over a two-year period, the intervention group showed significant improvements compared to those receiving usual care. They recorded greater reductions in blood pressure, blood glucose levels, HbA1c, body mass index, waist circumference and overall heart disease risk scores. At least 64 per cent of those in the intervention group achieved optimal health targets, compared to 46 per cent in the usual care group.Story continues below this adWhy family-based interventions work for IndiansThe study shows that a family-based lifestyle intervention aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk of heart attack patients and their family members was cost-effective. “In India around 40-60 million productive life years are lost annually to premature death. At least one in four Indian adults has a family history of premature coronary heart disease and focusing on such high-risk families enables efficient resource use by directing preventive efforts where they are most likely to have the greatest impact,” says Dr Panniyammakal.The Ayushman Bharat initiative, with its planned network of 150,000 health and wellness centres, offers a strong foundation for scaling up such interventions nationwide. “Integrating family-centred lifestyle programmes into this framework could help prevent at least 1.75 lakh to 2.5 lakh deaths annually,” Dr Panniyammakal suggests.Also read | 2 Bengaluru hospital executives die of heart attack: Why your reports may look normal but your risk remains hiddenWhy family intervention is cost-effectiveAlthough the intervention cost an additional Rs 2,806 per participant, it resulted in fewer hospital admissions. At the same time, clinic visits increased, likely reflecting greater awareness and early detection of health issues.The programme also led to a modest but meaningful gain in quality-adjusted life years, amounting to 0.014 per person. Economic analysis showed that the cost per quality-adjusted life year gained was Rs 2,02,221 — well below India’s accepted cost-effectiveness threshold of three times the per capita GDP (Rs 3.24 lakh).Story continues below this adThe intervention was also found to be cost-efficient in reducing specific risk factors, with incremental costs of Rs 1,266 per unit reduction in heart risk score, Rs 178 per mg/dL reduction in total cholesterol and Rs 480 per mg/dL reduction in blood glucose.Prof. Harikrishnan S, one of the investigators in the team, says that the programme becomes even more economical when implemented on a larger scale, as fixed setup costs are spread across more participants.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:healthKerala