World Heart Day: Tips and tricks to stay hale and hearty

Dr K Rachakonda, cardiovascular surgeon at Continental Hospitals, helps us understand the risks of heart disease and how to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle

Representational image of a blood pressure check.

On World Heart Day, Dr K Rachakonda, the cardiovascular surgeon at Continental Hospitals, helps us understand the risks of heart disease and how to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Understanding the risks of heart disease

The risk of heart disease depends on many factors which can differ from person to person. But if we focus on a healthy-heart lifestyle, all these can be kept in check
Reversible: Quitting smoking, a change in lifestyle can reduce the risk of heart disease
Irreversible: Cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure can be moderated, but diabetes, family history of heart disease and age are irreversible factors

What is a heart-healthy lifestyle?

Make healthy food choices
Eat fewer processed foods
Decorate your plate with 60 per cent carbs, 20 per cent fat and 20 per cent proteins
Eat a lot of fruit and vegetable salads
Consume skim or low-fat dairy products
Eat fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids
Use different types of cooking oils --coconut, rice bran, sunflower, groundnut. Minimise the use of refined oils

Get a checkup done if you have