World Heart Day: How To Secure Your Heart

World heart day emphasizes the need for the world community to keep their hearts healthy. The theme of world heart day, “use heart know heart” takes us beyond just the physical wellbeing of the heart. Traditionally, we believe that the heart is the center of our physical and mental wellbeing. In other words, taking care of our heart takes care of our entire physical and mental requirements.

World Heart Day focuses on different aspects of heart diseases including environment, healthcare access, mental health, as well as traditional risk factors. Heart diseases are the biggest cause of death worldwide (32% of global mortality) and the measures to reduce risk from heart diseases will reduce overall mortality.

Fortunately, majority of the causative risk factors are modifiable. Apart from known traditional risk factors which include diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and family history, various other factors have been determined as predictors of initial coronary event which include lifestyle, various laboratory markers (troponin, CRP, NT-PROBNP, IL6), Polygenetic risk scores, associated other illnesses particularly lung disease and other social determinants of health.

Our heart is the most vital organ which keeps our body functioning smoothly. Maintaining good heart health leads to a healthy and long life. In an era where workload takes up most of our time, maintaining our health takes a backseat. For a long, healthy life, it is crucial to secure ones’ heart by leading a healthy lifestyle. A daily heart health routine ensures a healthier tomorrow. This includes,

♦ Regular exercise: WHO advises a simple fitness mantra in the form of 40 minutes of walking, five days a week.

♦ Stress Management: Stress affects the heart directly. Stress reduction techniques like yoga and meditation can safeguard the heart.

♦ Healthy diet: A balanced diet which includes equal amounts of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats helps improve overall health. Reduction in sugar, salt, and saturated fats intake also contributes to a healthy diet.

♦ Maintaining a healthy weight: Try to achieve a healthy body mass index and maintain it consistently.

♦ Avoid smoking: Smoking is one of the major causes of rise in cardiovascular diseases. Quitting smoking is the only solution for protecting your heart health.

♦ Monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and Sugar: Regular health check-ups by monitoring BP, diabetes, are important for identifying probable risk factors and to help overcome them. Monitor blood pressure and cholesterol & Sugar regularly. High cholesterol, blood pressure & Sugar damage the arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

♦ Stay adequately hydrated: Ensure that you are hydrated. Dehydration leads to disruption in heart function and overall functioning of the body.

♦ Good Sleep: Various studies have shown that sleeping for at least seven hours a day is essential in mitigating heart related diseases.

In essence, “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains ……”. (Bhagvad Gita Chapter 6, sloka 17)

(The author is a Chief Consultant for Cardiology at Continental Hospitals, Hyderabad. With over three decades of exemplary practice in the Indian Railways, he is one of the best cardiologists in Hyderabad)