KOCHI: This year, the global campaign focuses on looking after our own hearts, and the hearts of our loved ones. Heart disease is the number one killer of the world taking away the life of 17.5 million people every year. India is currently witnessing nearly two million heart attacks a year and majority of the victims are youngsters. In Kerala, the heart disease-related deaths are as high as 40 per cent among which 26 per cent are due to heart attacks. In Kerala, 63,000 people die of heart attacks per year.
The health facilities of Kerala are supposed to be the highest in India and can be compared to that of developed countries such as United States and Western Europe. One would naturally expect a significantly lower incidence of heart disease and other lifestyle diseases in Kerala. Ironically, it is the highest in Kerala. It has been observed that Indians develop heart ailment at a younger age.
The urban-village difference of disease prevalence is much lower in Kerala compared to the northern states. Many observational studies have shown a high prevalence of risk factors leading to the heart ailment in urban and rural settings. This is largely due to the higher prevalence of major risk factors like high BP, diabetes , high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy alcohol consumption.
Kerala Paradox refers to the unexpectedly and paradoxically high prevalence of lifestyle diseases – heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity resulting in the very high death rate from heart disease.The dramatic increase in premature heart disease in Kerala is due to a corresponding increase in the modifiable risk factors related to the lifestyle at a young age – many of which are unrecognised, untreated and uncontrolled despite the wealth of knowledge and the availability of safe and effective medications at reasonable cost.
In general, the average Indian diet tends to be high in carbohydrates, saturated fats, trans fats and low protein, mono-unsaturated fat and poly-unsaturated fat and fibre.Heart disease is an ideal scenario for prevention efforts. Risk factors for heart disease begin accumulating at a young age, often while individuals have no symptoms and unaware of the untoward consequences. There are many ways to keep your precious heart healthy.
Here are a few:
1. Eat healthily: It is said you are what you eat. Always keep a check on what and when you eat. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, sea fish, olive oil and fatless meat can help your heart beat longer.
2. Maintain healthy body weight: Maintain a healthy weight as obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Measure the Body Mass Index and try to keep it below 25.
3. Aerobic exercise and yoga: Regular and adequate exercise is the best tonic for your heart. You can do simple exercises like walking, running, cycling, swimming, dancing. Yoga and meditation are also great for your heart and they ease stress, which automatically improves your heart function.
4. Be active: If you are unable to perform daily brisk exercises regularly, then be active throughout the day.
5. Say NO to smoking and alcohol: Smoking and consuming increases the incidence of heart attack especially in the young people.
6. Stress management: Talk to your friends, socialise, slow down a bit and take a break. Enjoying your life to the fullest is the best way to keep your heart healthy and agile.
7. Check your family history: Hereditary disposition is the strongest risk factor for heart disease. It’s a non-modifiable risk factor.
8. Good sleep: Lack of sleep worsens blood pressure and cholesterol. Sleep deficiency also leads to increase stress levels, which also raises the level of inflammation in your body further increasing heart-related problems.
9. Get regular health screening: Go for yearly executive check-ups to know your levels.
10. Be happy always and maintain a positive attitude: Laughter is indeed the best medicine for your heart. Mingle with people who have a positive attitude towards life and avoid people with a negative way of thinking.
Despite worldwide awareness campaigns, there is a wide gap between the burden of heart disease and current preventive efforts. This gap has to be narrowed. Heart disease treatment is nowadays very expensive and a majority of our people are unable to comply with the financial commitments. For the common man, the only one thing possible is prevention.
Dr George Thayil is the Senior Consultant Cardiologist at Lourdes Hospital in Kochi and the state president of Indian Academy of Echocardiography.
(The views expressed by the author are his own.)