According to Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, lifestyle illnesses were affecting people's lives and India will account for 60% of heart disease cases throughout the world by the next few years.

At the Bombay Hospital after presenting the '2nd Priyamvada Devi Birla Oration Award' to New York-based interventional cardiologist Samin Sharma, the governor said that lifestyle illnesses such as cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure and diabetes are mutely creating mayhem.

He also called for "an institutional response to tackle these modern diseases through awareness and medical preparedness".

Sankaranarayanan said, "Considering the rising incidence of heart and lifestyle diseases in India, it is imperative for the planners to acknowledge cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and lifestyle diseases as major public health problems. This will enable the government to devise structural response to tackle the diseases."

Chairman of the Bombay Hospital Trust, Bharat Kumar Taparia, cardiologist B. K. Goyal and other eminent people were present on the occasion. (With Inputs from Agencies)