September 27th, 2009 is World Heart Day. According to the figures just released by WHO, cardiovascular diseases stands first as the world’s number one killer, accounting for nearly 17.1 million lives last year, a staggering number indeed. But how often do we acknowledge what the human heart does for us? Most of us take its function of working non-stop 24/7 as granted. We do not care at all until disaster strikes in the form of heart disease, raised blood pressure, high cholesterol and more. On this day of such great importance, let us dedicate ourselves to help our hearts function better by looking again at the following: • Is your blood pressure showing unsteady readings lately? Talk to your doctor if you are having heaviness in your chest and unreasonable fits of anger. Your blood pressure will vary according to your age. A healthy heart will show a reading of 120 – 130 and the diastolic pressure will read between 80 – 90. • Eat a low fat diet. Your diet should include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Wherever possible eat the fruits with the outer skin. Do not fry the fish and chicken; instead, grill or roast them. Use less oil. And have plenty of garlic every day. • When did you last check your weight? Those unusual extra pounds will only increase your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure and increase the risk of coronary heart disease and even strokes. • Quit smoking! If you’ve been postponing the desire to quit cigarettes for years, now is the time to do it. Tobacco will only increase the formation of plaque in the blood vessels, leading to clots that can cause heart attacks. • Are you diabetic? If you are, then you are more prone towards coronary heart disease. Take measures regularly to keep your blood sugar levels safe. • Reduce the drinking of alcohol. Excess can only increase your blood pressure and result in irregular heart beat and a diseased heart muscle. • Does your family have a history of heart disease? How about your parents? It has been seen that diabetes, obesity and other risk factors are generally passed on to the children. • Last, but not the least, exercise regularly. Most people do not realize this, but the human heart is also a muscle just like any other – it must be exercised. Exercise reduces the blood pressure and widens the blood vessels to improve circulation. It also raises good HDL cholesterol. There is not one single medication that can alternate with the advantages of exercise. There is no need to allocate 2 hours every day at the gym. All you need is a moderate activity like walking briskly along the beach or side road every morning for 20 minutes a day. Or you could ride a plain bike. Walk down the stairs instead of using the elevator, park your car at the back of your building and walk the stairs to your flat. Walk to the market to do your groceries. Whatever it is, try to get more steps into your daily routine. They all will add up to give your heart a smiling look. A daily routine of 10,000 steps should do wonders for your heart! Exercising for a healthy heart should be as important as keeping an appointment with your hairdresser or facial at the Taj or Sheraton, or maybe even that game of bridge with your pals at your favourite club. On 26 and 27 September a health awareness program is planned in many main cities of the states in India as part of the World Heart Day celebrations. The activities will be held under the combined supervision of the Cardiological Society of India and the Heart Care Foundation. The programme includes free medical check-ups and seminars addressed by leading doctors from all over the country. You can log on to http://www.world-heart-federation.org/ for more information. Written by Mr. Sunder Venkataram, Thane (Maharashtra) … [Read more...]
Heart diseases in women
Incidence of Heart diseases in women is rising due to changing lifestyle of new age women and stress at both home and office. Smoking is the major preventable risk factor for heart diseases in women. The underlining mechanism is: (narrowing of blood vessels/Atherosclerosis) Decrease (shrinking) in the size of coronary arteries (vessels supplying blood to the heart), thereby free flowing of the blood is affected. There is more amount of fat accumulation inside the walls of the blood vessels. The more decrease in the size of the vessels, the earlier is the heart attack. Causative factors: 1. Age: Women of above 65 years of age are more prone to heart attacks. 2. Smoking: One of the main culprits and the dangerous factor. Nicotine in the tobacco makes the vessels to shrink in the size and decrease in inner capacity volume. 3. Excessive in taking of more fatty food materials like, non vegetarian diet, ghee, Fried foods, readymade junk foods, etc. 4. Diabetes: When it is not under control. 5. Sedentary life: Lack of exercise is more common in the present day modern life. 6. Race and genetic factors. Some of the above factors can be avoided, like Smoking, fatty foods intake, sedentary life, diabetes, etc. Age, genetic race factors are beyond our capacity to control them. Avoid the following risk factors, there by, the individual can be saved from heart attacks: 1. Stop smoking: In the first year itself, the risk is decreased by 50%. After 5 years of stopping of smoking, your health condition is just like the health status of “Non smokers”. 2. Avoid fatty foods: Instead take fresh fruits, vegetables and fish without frying with oil. Take fewer amounts of snacks. 3. Body weight should be under control: The BMI (Body mass index) should be between -18.5 to 24.9. The weight measurement should be 35 inches or less. 4. Avoid anxiety, stress and strain: By keeping them under control, the risk of heart attacks is decreased by 70%. 5. High B.P and Diabetes: Women having them may prone to heart attacks 3-7 times more. So it is well and good to keep them under control by following appropriate food habits, doing regular exercise and taking drugs regularly. The signs and symptoms of heart diseases: 1. Pain or weight in the chest, and it gradually extends to upper limbs, neck, to the facial bones containing the teeth, breathing becomes difficult, tiredness and sleeplessness (especially in women). Tests to be done: (if necessary) Stress test, CT scan, Angiogram, Cardiac MRI, etc. Management of the cases in women: 1. Balloon angioplasty or Stunting2. By- pass grafting. We can prevent more than 50% of heart diseases by changing our lifestyle and through regular screening. … [Read more...]
High B.P increases heart disease risk
Increase in blood pressure raises the risk of getting heart disease, according to University of California researchers. They analysed the medical data of 4, 646 adults who took part in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The research study was published in “The Journal of Archives of Internal Medicine”. Persons who are unable to control their blood pressure are at high risk for heart diseases. 30% of US population are living with high blood pressure which is at high risk for getting heart diseases. 75% of survey participants who had high blood pressure also had other chronic diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, heart failure and vascular diseases. Most of these people generally fail to control even with medication. One should maintain blood pressure less than 130/80 mm of Hg. Hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mm of Hg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mm of Hg. According to the data, high blood pressure is common in older and African American adults. TV watching and blood pressure: Children who spend more time watching television are at risk of getting blood pressure in the later life. The children are generally obese due to lack of physical exercise and increase in psychological stress (due to watching TV). These children are generally junk food eaters. One can stay away from chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer by modifying lifestyle changes and regular screening measures. 50% of these chronic diseases are preventable. … [Read more...]
Heart disease risk rises due to bad marriage
People who lack emotional support and supportive partner have 34% increased risk of heart diseases, according to a London University college study. The scientists observed 9,000 people for 12 years before revealing their findings. People in most negative relationships are at 1.34 times more at risk of getting heart attack than normal people. This research study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Bad relations among family members will rise stress levels and thereby increase heart attack risk. These people will frequently argument and criticize among themselves which will dampen heart health. These emotional imbalances disturb hormonal balance and induce negative biological reactions. They suffer from depression, low self-esteem and other mental health disorders. According to previous studies, people in relationship enjoy good health when compared to singletons. But bad relationships are worse than not having any relationship. Couples who are in unhappy relationships are at very high risk of heart diseases. What kind of partner you have is more important in determining your heart disease risk. Psychological counseling for the people who are in bad relationships will help to decrease heart disease risk to some extent. Another interesting study which was published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal found that women who silenced themselves during disputes with their partner were 4 times more likely to die than those who argue with their husbands. Researchers discounted age, sex, social status and economical condition before coming to conclusion. Think twice before selecting your partner. … [Read more...]
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. … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
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. A person generally needs 7 hours of sleep for ideal functioning of the body. Sleep will prepare the body for healthy functioning by physiological restitution and recovery. Lack of sufficient sleep will alter the dynamics of body metabolism and cause lifestyle diseases. This research was done by scientists from the University of Warwick and University College London and was published in the "Sleep" journal. This extensive study was done on 10,308 civil servants over 17 years to understand the correlation between sleep and heart attack risk. They adjusted for a range of factors such as age, sex, marital status, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, employment grade, physical activity, alcohol consumption; self rated health, blood pressure, cholesterol, illnesses, and others. Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 25% of deaths in Britain. 30% British adults sleep less than 5 hours or less. Persons in low stressful jobs may not need 7 hours of sleep but busy executives should need 7 hours of night sllep. … [Read more...]
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