Celebrating World Heart Day 2019

Health is wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver,’’ is a popular maxim that seems to lose its essence in this fast-paced, stress-ridden world. Of the many life-threatening ailments, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s number one killer. Needless to say, the modern world runs on a clock that never stops. People are leading sedentary lifestyles with no proper diet and exercises. Strokes and heart diseases are the leading cause of death every year. It has been noted that at least 80% of premature mortality across the world is due to CVD. Today we celebrate World Heart Day and try to share a few awareness facts about our heart. The common causes of heart diseases include infections in the heart, heart attacks, hypertension, palpitations, high cholesterol, heart failure, angina, paralysis, etc. Heart disease is actually the umbrella term for several conditions like cardiac arrest, congenital heart diseases, heart attack, and artery disease. [expert_callback] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more people die due to heart diseases every year than from any other ailments. The disease is the main killer, worldwide, of both men and women above 60 years of age. WHO further suggests that 60 percent of deaths from CVD commonly take place in lower and middle-income countries. In a bid to eradicate heart diseases and spread awareness about CVD, World’s Heart Federation organizes on September 29th every year. World Heart Day 2017 celebrates the theme ‘’share the power’’. To honor the cause, small changes like giving up smoking, eating a healthy diet, living a disciplined life, getting more exercises and inspiring millions around the world to be heart healthy can create significant differences to your life. The WHF is even dedicated to fighting heart diseases through a united community of 200 member organization covering regions like Europe, America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, etc. One of the interesting reveals that heart disease was a frequent reason for death among ancient Egyptians, suggesting that heart disease is caused by other factors than modern bad habits like smoking, fast food, watching T.V., etc. A look at the varying reasons for heart disease:

Risk Factors in Heart disease and stroke

Controllable risk factors:

• Smoking
• Bad cholesterol or high HDL and good cholesterol or low HDL
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Diabetes
• Excessive anger and stress
• High blood pressure
• Consumption of alcohol
• Excessive use of birth control pills

Uncontrollable risk factors:

• Age (you are at higher risk of heart disease, the older you get)
• Gender (males are at greater risk than women)
• In post-menopausal
• Having family history of heart disease

Tips to have a healthy heart

• Quit smoking- Seek information from smoke-free informative websites and use techniques to give up smoking. Your heart attack risk falls to almost half than that of a dedicated smoker.
• Have a healthy diet with lots of healthy heart foods- Abstain from greasy and fast foods that alleviate the cholesterol level and increases chances of heart failure due to clogged arteries. Include lots of healthy heart foods like fishes high in omega -3, nuts including walnuts and almonds, oatmeal, fruits like papaya, oranges cantaloupes, fresh broccoli, tomatoes, etc.
• Keep health in check- Have a balanced diet low in sugar and fat, with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Eat lots of fiber- Aim for at least 30 gram of fiber every day. The best sources of fiber include wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, potatoes of skin, oats, etc.
• Minimize salt intake - Adults are recommended to eat less than 6 g salt a day that equals to one teaspoon.
• Avoid alcohol- Alcohol has high-calorie content and so should be avoided as much as possible.
• Have sufficient sleep, practice good dental hygiene, avoid sitting for too long, take daily walks for an hour, keep tension and stress away, keep calm, stay active, etc.

What experts have to say?

The global threat of cardiovascular disease is on the rise. The World Heart Federation has joined hands with international leaders urging them to sign a petition on the World Heart Day to create a healthier environment. The record suggests that CVD and stroke account for 17 million deaths per year, and this figure is expected to rise to 25 million by 2030. On this World Heart Day, we present to you special guidance from Dr. Simi Minocha, Cardiologist at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences. Her message to everyone, ‘’no hurry, no worry, and no curry is one formula to success.’’. Heart disease does not come up in one day, rather it builds up over the years depending upon your lifestyle. She stresses on the fact that cholesterol plaque is one of the major threats that start to show at the age of 15 years.