Adopt healthy lifestyle for healthy heart, opine experts
GUNTUR: Recently, Mohan Kumar, a 26-year-old police aspirant, collapsed while taking part in a 1600-metre sprint during a physical efficiency test and died on the spot due to cardiac arrest in Guntur. A 45-year-old teacher in the Bapatla district also suffered cardiac arrest while teaching and collapsed. There are several other instances where young people are falling prey to Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which have emerged as a growing health crisis in not only India but also across the world.
According to World Health Organization reports, over 17.1 million people are dying due to CVDs, and as per the Indian Council of Medical Research, CVDs are the leading cause of death in the country, responsible for nearly 28 percent of all fatalities. CVDs including heart failures and heart attacks, can have subtle symptoms that often go unnoticed until they progress and become severe.
Today, heart attacks and cardiac arrests are no longer restricted to people over 50 years. While awareness is not an issue, it is equally important to implement the knowledge gained in our daily lifestyle, which is lacking for many people, opined experts.
Due to the lack of the same, patients suffering from CVDs are increasing. Over 30,832 patients received treatment for CVDs at Guntur GGH in the past two years including 15,171 in 2021, 10,984 in 2022, and 4,677 patients till August this year. As many as 732 heart surgeries were conducted in 2020, 1,074 surgeries in 2021, 1,294 in 2022, and 1,149 surgeries in 2023 till now.
On the occasion of World Heart Day, which is celebrated on September 29 every year, doctors are suggesting that it is a reminder to everyone to take care of their hearts. Although a balanced diet and regular exercise are vital, dietary restrictions on red meat, saturated fats, and salt intake are essential, said Dr K Murali Krishna, a cardiologist at Guntur GGH.