70% of the urban Indian population at risk of heart disease!

70% of the urban Indian population at risk of heart disease!

by Agencies

A new study reveals that a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and stress are responsible for the rising number of cardiac arrests. In a three-year-long study conducted in 12 cities across India, it has been found that 51 per cent of Mumbaikars have low levels of the heart-protecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as 'good' cholesterol. The study has also revealed that over 70 per cent of the urban Indian population is at the risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.

The Saffola Life study covered more than 1.86 lakh people between the ages of 30 and 100. 'A sedentary lifestyle, in addition to stressful work conditions and a compromised diet are leading factors in precipitating heart disease risk. This has affected the heart health of people between the ages of 30 and 44,' said Dr Akshay Mehta, senior cardiologist, Asian Heart Hospital.

Of the 29,017 Mumbaikars who participated in the study, 44 per cent reported that they consume preserved or processed foods at least twice a week, and 42 per cent said that they eat fried foods at least twice a week. Additionally, 71 per cent of them were guilty of consuming two or less servings of fibre-rich whole grains in their diet.

'Now it is fairly common to see youth suffering from heart strokes. Five years ago, we hardly saw young patients with heart problems. Now, we get many cases where cardiovascular disease affects people in the age group of 25 to 35,' said Dr Ajay Chaurasia, head of cardiology department, BYL Nair Hospital.

The study also revealed that at 12 per cent, Mumbai was one of the cities with the least number of respondents with diabetes, which experts see as a good sign. The study also showed that Mumbaikars are keen on keeping themselves fit, with a substantial 64 per cent of respondents agreeing that they exercise thrice a week or less.

Here are ten tips for a healthier heart:

Kick the butt

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)estimates that smoking increases the chance of suffering from a coronary heart disease by two to four times by reducing blood circulation due to narrowed arteries. Scarily, 92 million out of India's 285 million smokers don't even know that it's bad for their heart. Along with cardiovascular diseases smoking is responsible for other diseases like cancer as well and affects almost every organ in the body. And if that's still not enough impetus to quit smoking, consider the fact that second hand smoke kills 600,000 people every year out of which 100,000 are children and 87% of deaths due to second hand smoke are due to cardiovascular diseases. So kick the butt now, if not for yourself then for your near and dear ones whom you're exposing to second hand smoke. Various techniques to quit smoking

Drink moderately

Alcohol's effect on the heart is hotly debated. Numerous studies have found that people, who drink moderately, actually have better cardiovascular health than people who don't drink or those who do excessively. Moderate means either 330ml of beer, 60ml of hard liquor or 100ml of wine. However, others have debunked these results claiming that there isn't even a way to define moderate and such revelations could lead to misunderstanding and increased drinking. What is not debatable is the fact that excessive drinking is tied to various cardiovascular issues like obesity, high blood pressure and increased risk to coronary artery disease. Binge drinking (drinking excessively in a short amount of time) too is linked to poor cardiovascular health. 

Work up a sweat

Our current sedentary lifestyle has played a major part in the rise of cardiovascular diseases around the world. Lack of exercise leads to build-up of bad cholesterol which prevents the blood from flowing freely and causes hypertension, heart attacks, etc. Exercising plays a very important role in your cardiovascular health. It facilitates weight loss, lowers blood pressure, increases your good 'cholesterol' level, improves blood circulation and allows your heart to pump more efficiently. In fact it helps reduce stress also by releasing feel good hormones called endorphins!

Click here to read about cardio exercises that are good for your heart!

Sleep properly

It's been suggested in jest that Thomas Edison's light bulb is responsible for the current obesity pandemic. While that would be stretching the truth a bit too much, the fact remains that our current work-play around the clock routine does have a hand in the various lifestyle diseases. It has been suggested that initially our body's internal clock was adapted to the natural day-light schedule and exposure to artificial light has thrown it off-track. This has also led to various kinds of sleep disorders which in turn impacts your appetite causing obesity, glucose metabolism and increases blood pressure. It's a vicious cycle really and getting enough sleep is very important to keep heart disease at bay.

Read how to deal with insomnia or sleep disorders

 Reduce intake of saturated and trans-fats

They are basically two kinds of fats – saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are present in food items like butter, red meat, dairy products, chocolates, etc. and are known to raise 'LDL' or bad cholesterol levels and most dieticians recommend limiting their intake. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats which have the same effect. Manufactured food items usually contain a lot of trans-fats and that's why nutritionists suggest avoiding them.

Load up on unsaturated and omega 3 fatty acids

Unsaturated fats are of two types – mono-unsaturated (olive oil, nuts, peanut oil) and poly-unsaturated (sesame, cottonseed and soya bean oils). Both types of unsaturated fats are known to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and boost up good cholesterol levels. Many dieticians suggest switching to olive oil, rice  bran oil or other healthier oils. Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-saturated fats which are considered essential because they can't be manufactured by the human body and are present in marine and plant oils. Good sources include fish oils, milk compounds, flax seeds and nuts.

Take it easy

It's still not clear how stress causes heart disease. Most experts concede that its part of a snowball effect of obesity, blood pressure, heart disease, smoking, lack of exercise, insomnia, etc. All the aforementioned conditions seem to go hand in hand with stress and that's why taking it easy is imperative for your heart. Take up a hobby, play with your children or take up meditation – anything that will keep stress at bay.

Click here to find out how stress, hormones and your health are linked.

Reduce salt and sugar intake

While moderate intake of salt is necessary, too much is linked to various cardiovascular ailments, particularly hypertension. Most people end up consuming a lot of salt without actually realising it, because they aren't actually separately adding table salt to their food. Food items like bread, butter or packaged noodles might not taste salty but play a part in increasing your salt intake.

Sugar on the other hand is an infamous culprit. Experts believe that the easy availability of sugar is fuelling the global obesity pandemic because we are naturally geared to seek it for the glucose – our primary source of energy which was earlier available only through natural sources like fruits. The only solution is to cut down on sugar intake by limiting – cakes, milk shakes, sweets, sweetmeats, fizzy drinks, cookies and ice-cream – pretty much everything your heart desires is bad for it.

Load up on veggies and fruits

There's compelling evidence to suggest that people who eat more greens and fruits significantly lower their bad cholesterol levels and this also improves their digestive system and metabolism allowing the body to function better. Most dieticians would tell you that you should get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in a day (400 grams) in a day.

Get regular check-ups

There is no alternative to being well informed. Get regular tests to check your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and the ECG test. Doctors suggest that one should start getting checked either after turning 30. People who experience symptoms like chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness or discomfort shouldn't delay meeting a doc. 

Know your heart, love your heart

More and more Indians are falling prey to heart disease. There are various reasons for this including a sedentary lifestyle, genetic predisposition, pollution, smoking, drinking, a fatty diet and a general ignorance about what causes heart ailments. However, we at health.india.com intend to fight that by covering every aspect of cardiovascular health including diet, expert advice, exercise, natural remedies, diagnosis and treatment, specific heart advice for women and more this month.

Check out our Heart Health Page for more.

For more articles on diseases and conditions, check out our diseases & conditions section and for videos, check out our YouTube Channel. 

With inputs from DNA

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