World Heart Day September 26th 2022

World Heart Day is celebrated on 29th September 2022. It is the World’s Heart Federation’s
biggest platform for raising awareness about Cardiovascular disease (CVD). The success of
World Heart Day depends on the pro-activity of organizations from around the world to help
spread awareness of CVD, the world’s number one killer. The theme for 2022 is creating hearthealthy environments. This means we create healthy places to live, work and play, our
environment should not increase our risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, you are not alone. The condition affects people of
all ages and backgrounds. We have identified the best heart disease blogs, written by those
sharing similar experiences and health experts alike, that provide helpful information, advice,
and support.

Statistics suggest that the occurrence of heart disease among the youth has increased at a rate of
24.8 per cent in the past decade. Sadly, nearly 1/6th of all Indian patients of cardiovascular
diseases are under 40 years of age and nearly 1/4th of all heart attacks in India occur at less than
40 years of age. If you are conscious about your heart health, start early.

Smoking is one of the worst habits for our heart health. It damages the inner lining of the arteries
supplying blood to the heart muscle and increases the risk of clot formation which leads to heart
attacks. Also, a very prevalent risk factor among Indians is the combination of high triglyceride
counts and low levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

A decent work-life balance with low stress levels is important for a healthy heart. Negative
emotions, stress and tension pump up the secretion of epinephrine in the body and can precipitate
vulnerable plaques and massive heart attacks.

As Indians we also lack behind in fitness routines. A healthy diet with an exercise routine is a
must to avoid or delay heart diseases. Have your measured your waist lately? It is said anything
greater than 80 cm (32 inches) for women and 94 cm (37 inches) for men means increased risk.
Prevention

People of every age and gender irrespective of family history of heart diseases are getting
cardiovascular diseases. It cannot always be avoided but can at least be pushed to a lot later in life.
The best way to do so is by adopting a healthy lifestyle starting today.

Here are a tips to maintain a healthy heart:

• Eat Right – Let us adapt a healthy diet low in saturated fat, transfats, cholesterol, sodium, sugars
  and added sweeteners. Eat more fruits and vegetables, fibre rich wholegrain, nuts, legumes, seeds
  and low-fat dairy products. Adapting healthier cooking methods can also make a huge difference
  as well.
• Maintain an active lifestyle – Get into the habit of daily yoga, aerobics or brisk walks. Regularity in your fitness routine is as important as starting the activity.
• No smoking – Smoking is a complete no, avoid passive smoke also as much as possible. Exposure
  to second-hand smoke also poses a serious health hazard.
• Family history – It is essential to keep a track on family history of heart diseases as it increases
  your risk of getting one. You control or delay your risk of heart disease by maintaining a healthy
  weight, exercising regularly, not smoking and eating right.
• Stress..the biggest killer – Long-term stress causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that may damage the artery walls. Learn some stress management techniques like meditation and deep breathing to relax yourself.
• Blood sugar tests- In addition to blood pressure checks and other heart-health screenings, you
  should test your blood glucose regularly.
• Learn the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke – Heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men. Knowing when you’re having a heart attack or stroke means that you’re more likely to seek and get immediate help.

Age wise precautions:

• Crossed 20 years , start check-up routines. Surprising as it may sound, youths also need to be
  checked for heart disease. With our current lifestyle and food habits, our heart is at its vulnerable
  most.
• Crossed 30 years, maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle for your entire family. You must create and
  sustain heart-healthy habits in your parents, spouse and kids.
• Crossed 40 years, control your weight. Maintain a healthy weight with a good diet and a daily
  exercise routine.
• Crossed 50 years, healthy diet is a must. It’s easy to slip into some unhealthy eating habits as you
  age. Refresh your eating habits by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, nuts, legumes
  and seeds.
• Crossed 60 years, have an ankle- brachial index test. As soon as you turn 60, you must get an
  ankle-brachial index test done every year. The test will assess the pulse in your feet to help diagnose peripheral artery disease (PAD), a lesser-known cardiovascular disease in which plaque
  builds up in the leg arteries.

Live better, Live longer. Our heart health is in our own hands, the earlier we realize this the better it
is.. The Cardio sciences department provides an all-inclusive programme for the management of all
heart diseases.