Sunday, September 30, 2007
Heart Diseases world’s largest killer
Heart disease and stroke are responsible for largest number of deaths in the world. Heart diseases kill 17.5 million people in the world. This report was released by World Heart Foundation on September 30, World Heart Day.
In India, 70 million people are suffering from heart diseases. Biggest concern is most of these deaths are preventable.
Image courtesy: Wellness Evolution.
Obesity, Diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, Smoking, lack of physical activity and unhealthy diet habits are major causes for heart diseases.
Obesity is gradually attaining epidemic proportions especially in urban areas due to lack of physical activity and junk food habits. Obesity is the major factor for causing type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure. Heart attack is the number one cause of death in diabetic patients.
Brisk walking for 35-40 minutes alone saves millions of deaths from heart diseases.
Smoking is the number one causative factor for heart diseases and stroke. Fast foods are another major risk factor for heart diseases by increasing bad cholesterol thereby causing clotting in the blood vessels.
Contrary to popular belief, 80% of deaths from chronic diseases occur in low and middle class families due to increased health awareness among rich families. Decrease in deaths due to heart ailments is mainly due to better medical treatment and rising health awareness.
Increase in physical activity, consuming diet rich in vegetables and fruits and abstaining from smoking will prevent 80% deaths from heart diseases.
Please share your opinion on this article.
Friday, September 28, 2007
World Heart Day: September 30, 2007
2007 “World Heart Day” slogan is “Team Up for Healthy Hearts”. Its aim is to encourage people to join together and create hearty-healthy communities. World Heart Federation, World Health Organization and other organizations are taking active part in propagating this message.
Heart diseases statistics:
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death globally. An estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005, representing 30 % of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 7.6 million were due to heart attacks and 5.7 million were due to stroke. Around 80% of these deaths occurred in developing countries. If appropriate action is not taken, by 2015, an estimated 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease every year, mainly from heart attacks and strokes.
Heart role in life:
1. Physically: It beats 70times/minute and in a day, it beats more than one lakh times in a day. Even though it is small in size (compared to liver), it plays vital role in the bodily functions.
2. Mentally and socially: we call a particular person as ‘’heart-less fellow”. Here heart means-kindness, sympathy, generosity, loving others, etc. in nature.
3. Spiritually: The golden quotation is “those who are pure at heart, they are blessed and shall see God one day”.
That means God is residing in our heart in the form of “Soul”, and reminding us always to do good only. It clearly shows that the heart is not a simple, innocent, physical (muscular) organ but more than that, playing greater role in our day to day activities. Hence it is our duty to protect our heart in every aspect and respect.
Heart diseases causes:
Heart attacks and paralysis are the main causes of death among the population. 175 million people are dying due to these two diseases only, every year in the world.
1. Obesity: At present 155 million children are suffering from obesity, all over the world. It is a very dangerous situation. We have to be very careful about the food habits and physical exercise in them. Otherwise these habits become stabilized and remain in the later life also. If the children are obese, the chances of getting heart attacks before reaching the age of 65 years are 3-5 times more, than normal weight persons. Many of them are prone to diabetes.
2. Tobacco-smoking: The incidence of smoking is increasing year after year, especially among the youth, who constitute 50% of the population, in spite of the anti-smoking propaganda, undertaken by the governments and other private organizations.
3. Food habits: More intake of fatty, junk foods (high cholesterol diet), leads to heart troubles.
4. Stress and strain, lack of exercise, etc are other factors.
5. Heart diseases in Women: Previously the notion was that only men suffer from heart attacks. Now the trend is changed and 50% of deaths among women are due to heart attacks only. More over the signs and symptoms in females are a little different compared to males. The pain in chest during the heart attack is more felt in men, than the women. But women feel more “tiredness” and it is misunderstood for general weakness. So women are to be more enlightened on these matters.
6. Low intake of fruit and vegetables is estimated to cause about 31% of ischemic heart disease, 11% of stroke worldwide and 19% of gastrointestinal cancer. Overall, 2.7 million deaths are attributable to low fruit and vegetable intake.
7. Physical inactivity is estimated to cause, globally, about 10-16% of cases each of breast cancer, colon and rectal cancers and diabetes mellitus, and about 22% of ischemic heart disease. Overall, 1.9 million deaths are attributable to physical inactivity.
How to prevent heart attacks?
1. Heart attacks and strokes are major killers in all parts of the world. But they can often be prevented.
2. You can protect yourself from heart attacks and strokes by investing a little time and effort.
3. Tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
4. Stopping tobacco use reduces the chance of a heart attack or stroke from the moment you stop.
5. Engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week will help to keep away heart attacks and strokes.
6. Eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and limiting your salt intake to less than one teaspoon a day, can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
7. High blood pressure has no symptoms, but can cause a sudden stroke or heart attack. Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
8. Diabetes increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke. If you have diabetes, control your blood pressure and blood sugar to minimize your risk.
9. Being overweight increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. To maintain an ideal body weight, take regular physical activity and eat a healthy diet.
10. Heart attacks and strokes can strike suddenly and can be fatal if assistance is not sought immediately.
Now a days, people find it difficult to find suitable places to do exercises, in the towns and cities due to over crowding of houses and also increase in the population, especially in the developing countries. Hence every body should take active part to achieve healthy environment, smoke-free societies and also to encourage healthy food choices among children and adults.
“God sees your ‘Heart’ not your mind”. So it is our prime duty to save our valuable Heart under any circumstances.
Courtesy: World health organization (WHO).
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Heart diseases and sleep correlation
Sleep plays a vital role in increasing the risk of death from heart diseases. British Researchers found that cutting sleep time by 2 hours (optimal 7 hours to 5 hours) will double the death risk from heart diseases. Increased sleep duration from 7 to 8 hours a night will also increase the mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases. Short sleep is a risk factor for weight gain, Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension. But researchers failed to find the mechanism by which long sleep will increase heart attack risk. 
Image courtesy: Experts in Sleep.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Calcium supplements increse Heart attack risk
Calcium supplements which are generally prescribed by doctors for bone health can cause heart attack, according to a research study by University of Auckland. This research study is more significant as Calcium supplements are using by millions of osteoporosis patients especially women. Regular intake of Calcium will reduce risk of broken bones by 25% but Calcium supplements increase heart attack risk by 40%.
Doctors should think twice before prescribing calcium supplements routinely. One should cut their daily calcium intake from 1200mg to around 500mg a day. Whether patients want broken bones or heart attack? It is better for older women not take calcium at all.
Build-up of calcium in the blood vessels and heart valves increases heart attack risk, according to researchers. This study was conducted on 1500 postmenopausal women by Auckland University with the belief of calcium might decrease heart attack risk. Results surprised not only researchers but entire medical community.
Calcium functions in the body:
1. Regulation of heartbeat.
2. Conduction of nerve impulses.
3. Stimulation of hormone secretions.
4. Clotting of blood.
This research was done on elderly women but we need more studies on the impact of calcium supplements on young women. Postmenopausal women should try other risk free drugs for their brittle bones.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
High Blood Pressure and Childhood Obesity
Blood pressure levels in children and youth are rising after decades of decline, according to a research study by a Morehouse school of Medicine. This study was done by analysing data of national health surveys conducted in 8-17 year age group between 1963 and 2002 published in “Circulation”, journal of the American Heart Association.
Childhood obesity increased in all racial and ethnic groups in the recent times. One centimetre increase in waist circumference will raise blood pressure by 10% and pre- high blood pressure by 5%.
Prevalence of high blood pressure showed a downward trend between 1963 and 1994 surveys and upward trend from 1999 onwards.
High blood pressure is a major health problem and a common risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Normal blood pressure was defined as having both systolic pressure and diastolic pressure below the 90th percentile.
Pre-High BP was defined as either a systolic or diastolic blood pressure above the 90th percentile but below the 95th percentile or having blood pressure levels above 120/80 mm Hg, but below 95th percentile.
High Blood pressure was defined as either systolic or diastolic blood pressure at or above the 95th percentile.
Pre-high blood pressure is relevant because the long-running Bogalusa (La.) Heart Study found that children whose blood pressure was chronically at or above the 90th percentile showed signs of early organ damage as young adults, such as greater thickening of the heart wall or higher amounts of a protein called albumin in the urine.
Researchers used 2 kinds of overweight measurements:
1. Body Mass Index (BMI) – General overweight.
2. Waist circumference – Abdominal obesity.
Changing eating habits and sedentary lifestyle are major factors for rise in childhood obesity.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Problems in low cholesterol persons
Media is concentrating on diseases associated with high cholesterol while overlooking diseases associated with low cholesterol.But, low cholesterol is also causing some diseases mainly psychiatric.
We all know that low cholesterol diet is good for heart patients and prevents heart attacks.But other problems arise at the same time.
Abnormally low levels of cholesterol may indicate:
Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland
liver disease
Malabsorption
Inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestines
Malnutrition
The CNN web site has an article on low cholesterol that reports that people with cholesterol below 180 had twice the risk of hemorrhagic stroke over people with cholesterol levels at 230.
High cholesterol probably accounts for 10 percent to 15 percent of ischemic strokes. Low cholesterol is the cause of perhaps 7 percent of hemorrhagic strokes.
Saturated fats play a positive role in the human body. They provide a good source of stored energy, they cushion the organs against shock, and they insulate vital tissues against the cold.There are problems associated with saturated fat in the diet, but they are related more to excessive consumption and to the lack of regulating EFAs (essential fatty acids).
Source: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9902/06/strokes/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/352216.stm
Doctors usually prescribe Interleukin-12 to patients suffering from cancer and heart ailments.Due to this, level of melatonin hormone decreases in the blood.
Due to this low level, patient develops depression and suicidal tendency.
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