World Heart Day: Care your heart with care

Sep 29: Think of one thing that bond us together with our loved ones …Yes Love…the mystery of love is still not solved…but we associate this feeling with Heart….

A thumping heart to tell us that we are alive…

But the same heart, which holds the beautiful feelings, is suffering….

Heart disease is going up at alarming rate, due to our irregular lifestyle. Obesity, diabetes and dietary habits are the various reason other then congenital heart disease. It is also one of the leading causes of death in the country. Experts believe that by 2010 India will on top of list of heart disease in the world and there will be a 200 percent increase in the heart disease among youngsters.

A programme was organised by Cardio Vascular Society of India and the World Heart Federation at Tiruvananthpuram in connection with the observance of World Heart Day on 30 th of September. Doctors said that diabetes can lead to heart disease, as it can cause serious damage to blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease are a very common complication of diabetes.

It has been marked that in about 75% of diabetes patients have more chances of heart attacks as the walls of the arteries to the heart and brain becomes damage due to lipids and cholesterol.

Doctors suggested that the diabetes patient should take prophylactic drugs to prevent the damage to arteries. There was concern among the doctors about the ignorance of the risks of heart disease in diabetic patient.

Prevention measures of heart disease were also discussed, with importance of proper diet and medication, stressing on the importance early detection of diabetes to control the blood sugar level.

Doctors suggest that patient over 40 years can take aspirins and statins in low doses on the advice of doctors.

Recent studies have shown that heart disease is one of the measure threats to a woman’s health, causing 1 out of 3 deaths in women compared to 1 among 30 for breast cancer, but still the awareness in women is deficient.

" We need for women to start thinking about prevention now. They can't wait until menopause to take care of their hearts," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, founder of the Women's Heart Program at New York University Medical Center in New York City and author of ‘Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease’.

The steps begins with quitting smoking, regular heart check up from the age of 20 years, low fat diet, regular physical exercise like a brisk walk, maintaining the blood pressure at 120/80 mm/Hg or below, limiting salt and alcohol.

Experts also advice to practice stress free life by doing meditation and breathing exercises.

Dr Nitin Unkule associated with Dr Jagdish Hiremath’s Reversal of Heart Disease Programme at Poona Hospital said “We are motivating people to open their hearts (emotional and biological) by following lifestyle changes.”

“They say this programme is not about living longer or reversing the disease. It is about living a better life “, added Unkule.

“Good thoughts, nice food habits and routine exercises can keep heart diseases at bay”, said T R Pachamuthu, a Chancellor of SRM University in an interactive session on Heart Disease and Prevention between public and heart specialists organised by the SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre to mark world Heart Day.

''From three per cent it grew to 12 per cent and it is expected to rise to 20 per cent in future. The number of people with heart related ailments is alarming and is fast catching up with diabetes'', he added.

Pachamuthu said good thoughts, good behavioural skills, content with what one earns, good food habits, daily exercises and ensuring clean surroundings are the key to keeping the heart diseases at bay.

''These aspects will give one person a stress-free life'', he added.

We always look around for medical facilities but can also prevent certain disease by taking few steps,,,changing our life style.

We can take a pledge on this day that matter of heart should be taken care….that the pain in our heart is not that unnecessary or ordinary…

It tells your heart is suffering..

Do take care of your heart…