|
Magazine
To be hale and hearty
|
Coronary heart disease may emerge as the number one killer. But it can be tackled by understanding the risk factors and taking steps to modify a person's lifestyle, writes DR. G.S. SAINANI.
|
The AbioCor, the world's first implantable artificial heart ... helping the heart patient.
PERHAPS the overdose of information about the heart and its various afflictions has anaesthetised us to the harsh realities of heart disease and its impact in India. The reality is cardiovascular disease will soon become the number one killer. People in the age group of 35-65 years are the most susceptible to heart attacks. There are already 60 million patients and the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that this number will rise to 100 million by 2010.
The incidence of heart disease here has doubled in the past 30 years. It is on a decline in the Western world. Among Indians, it is two to four-fold higher at all ages and five to 10-times higher in the under-40 age group as compared to Americans, Europeans and other Asians.
Certain risk factors can be modified by appropriate changes to reduce the risk of heart disease. A periodic health check up that includes a physical examination, complete blood test and lipid profile, chest x-ray, ECG and stress test is essential. Hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity are some of the major risk factors that can be taken care of with appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle.
People in the high-risk category are those who have a history of heart disease, stroke or diabetes, and/or those who have hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and those who are obese and also smoke. They can actually reverse the course of heart disease and drastically improve their quality of life with medication, diet and stress management and constant follow-up.
A much-overlooked component of preventive cardiology is medication, which is both effective and affordable when compared to surgical and other techniques. The effectiveness of the large repertoire of drugs available to control the progression of heart disease has not been as expected because of a lack of awareness about the benefits. Non-modifiable risk factors identify individuals at a high risk of stroke and those who may benefit from rigorous prevention or treatment of modifiable risk factors. These are age, gender, race and heredity. The cumulative effects of aging on the cardiovascular system and the progressive nature of risk factors substantially increase the risk of heart disease.
Heart disease is more prevalent in men than in women till women reach menopause, when it almost equals the risk for men of the same age. As a race, Indians are prone to heart disease. The incidence of acute heart attack in Indian men below the age of 45 is 18 per cent when compared to nine per cent for the United Kingdom and five per cent in the United States. A family history of coronary heart disease would suggest the inheritance and susceptibility of the risk.
The situation can be addressed by measures such as:
Changing the food markets by making vegetables and fruits available at cheaper rates.
Educate people on healthy diets.
Enforcing strict anti-tobacco measures at the government level.
Making facilities such as joggers' parks, swimming pools, playgrounds, and yoga centres freely available to the public.
Having offices provide recreation and gym facilities at the work place.
Ensuring periodic health check ups and controlling risk factors at the earliest.
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
|
