Mind Your Heart - Refine Your Path...
Cardiovascular disease or heart diseases are severely
affecting the human lives and have tremendous impact on the public health
across populations. Human heart is one of the most complex organs which is
responsible for supply of blood to various parts of the body and carrying
oxygen to each and every cell in the human body. Health of any person depends
on the way his vital organ’s function and performs their regular activities.
Protecting the health of our heart should be an essential duty for everyone to
lead a healthy life.
There are numerous collections of diseases which affect the
heart, that include coronary artery diseases, cardiomyopathies, heart
arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in India both
across the rural and urban population. India is suffering from high burdens of
cardiovascular disease with about 4.77 million deaths due to CVD. There is the
risk of a heart attack or stroke when your blood vessels in the body carrying
blood become narrow or blocked.
Every one of us have heard from family members and distant
relatives or have encountered with serious fatal life events such as death due
to cardiac disorders and other life-threatening cardiovascular diseases. With
the known facts and being aware of severe ill effects related to our heart
health, how many of you have shown interest and how well are you really
concerned in checking and monitoring your heart health condition?
Have you ever introspected your perspective towards your
focus on health? This is the time for you, if have never indulged in any
attempt in identifying and protecting your health. If you are diagnosed with
heart disease, there is nothing here to panic or get depressed. Take this as a
great opportunity for you to understand the reality and attempt to take all
possible actions to reduce the severity of disease. Follow your expert advises,
plan to undertake the prescribed treatment procedures and ensure regular
follow-up and maintenance.
We may not get a permanent solution for majority of the
heart diseases but our timely interventions can reduce the effects of these
diseases and improve our health standards. Most of the people diagnosed with
heart diseases are accidentally diagnosed. Even If you are diagnosed with heart
disease, changing your lifestyle, habits and unhealthy behaviour with few
modifications may prevent further damage to your heart.
Let’s have a look at some of the important information
Cardiovascular diseases are usually occurred due to
accumulation of fat (fatty deposits) inside the arteries (atherosclerosis) or
narrowing of blood vessels blocking the passage of blood (vasoconstriction).
Coronary heart disease occurs when the blood vessels
supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle are blocked or blood flow
is limited. This puts additional strain on the heart and can lead to following
conditions.
· Angina – chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart
muscles
· Heart attacks – when the blood flow to the heart muscle
is blocked
· Heart failure – when the heart is unable to pump blood
around the body
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the main causes of
death and disability across the globe, but we can prevent the disease
occurrence by following a healthy lifestyle.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors
There is no exact reason or cause for heart disease, but
there are many factors that can increase your risk of getting the disease.
These factors are what we consider as the “Risk factors".
Majority of the patients have affliction to a combination of
common cardiovascular risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater
you are prone to get the disease and chances of developing CVD are high. The
most common risk factors are:
· High blood
pressure and diabetes
· lipid disorders
(Cholesterol and Try-glycerides etc.)
· Overweight -
obesity
· Family history
(Genetic)
· Ethnic background
· Hyperuricemia
· Metabolic
syndrome
· Stress
· Sleep disorders
· Unhealthy
lifestyle habits (high alcohol intake, smoking, sedentary lifestyle etc.)
· Other systemic
and chronic diseases
Other predisposing factors are:
- Age
– CVD is most common in elderly population and the risk increases as a
person age
- Gender
– men are more likely to develop CVD than women
- Diet
– An unhealthy diet can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol
levels in blood
- Alcohol
– High alcohol intake can also increase your risk.
The presence of one or more additional risk factors
proportionally increases the risk of coronary artery disease and other
cardiovascular diseases.
Adjusting lifestyle with healthy habits can reduce your risk
of CVD. If you are already affected or associated with the above-mentioned risk
factors try to modify your lifestyle and stay as healthy as possible which can
reduce the effects.
Measures and actions to reduce your CVD risk
Exercise regularly
Stop smoking
Cut down on alcohol
Have a balanced diet
Maintain a healthy weight
Medication
Increase physical activity
Practice meditation and yoga
Limit the stress due to work load
Avoid long working hours
Healthy sleep
Improve your Mental health and emotional balance
Dietary recommendation
The Mediterranean diet is said to be healthiest diet in the
world. Is it really that good for your heart? Let’s see what it is?
The Mediterranean diet is a traditional diet from countries
like Italy and Greece back in 1960 and the Mediterranean basin which is famous
all over. This diet constitutes of unprocessed plant-foods and heart-healthy
fats low in saturated fat, with less meat content making it healthy.
Benefits:
Lowers the risk of heart diseases
Helps lower blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
Mediterranean diet foods
- Vegetables
especially leafy green vegetables like spinach, lettuces etc
- Fruits,
- Herbs
and spices
- Nuts
and seeds
- Grain
foods like barley, oats and brown rice
- Legumes
like chickpeas and lentils
- Extra
virgin olive oil
- Fish
and seafood
- Eggs
- Dairy
products like milk and cheese
Limit the intake of following foods
- Red
meat
- Carbohydrate
rich foods
- Junk
foods
- High
sugar foods like soft drink, juice, Ice creams, cakes etc
- Refined
grains and processed fast foods
- Processed
meat
Balanced diet
A healthy, balanced diet is also one of the best
recommendations for a healthy heart. Different types of foods in appropriate
quantities and proportions that cater adequate calories, proteins, minerals,
antioxidants, vitamins and micro nutrients. This diet which includes:
- Low
levels of saturated fat (found in foods such as meat, cakes and biscuits)
- Include
healthier sources of fat (Omega 3 and 6) such as oily fish, nuts and
seeds, and olive oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil
- Low
levels of salt – less than 6 grams or 1 teaspoon a day
- Low
levels of sugar and refined foods
- Good
quantity of fibre and wholegrain foods
- Plenty
of fruit and vegetables
Wake up & live up
The risk of cardiovascular diseases is high and is becoming
more common in this modern era. Whether you fall for it or challenge it, is all
up to our will, reliance to your natural roots and respecting your own health.
Our negligence and complacencies are the biggest threats what we are facing.
Human race has fought a lot many obstacles over centuries, and we have
successfully surpassed those hurdles.
Let’s unite, be aware, get educated and fight together for our betterment. We are responsible for our health and we need to concentrate enough for our well being than any other. Hope you take up this challenge. What do you say?