'Mental well-being central to preventing rising heart disease in India'

Mental wellbeing is central to preventing chronic and noncommunicable diseases especially heart disease experts said on FridayIndia has recently seen a significant rise in the number of heart diseases especially among young adults and even childrenldquoIf we want to address Indiarsquos heart health crisis we need to shift from a curative mindset to cultivating genuine healthseeking behaviour across our families schools and communitiesrdquo said Rajesh Bhushan former Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at a citybased event held ahead of the World Heart Day on September 29The expert urged the need for integrating mental health into the healthcare regimen He also urged schools to foster mental wellbeing in childrenldquoAlongside regular exercise and stress management nurturing mental health early in families and reinforcing it in schools is critical Life is not a sprint but a marathon and young people need guidance to build patience resilience and balance rather than be pushed into early burnout Schools can play a transformative role by replacing unhealthy practices with healthier alternatives fostering mental wellness and encouraging physical activityrdquo Bhushan saidExperts also shared the impact of mental stress pollution and poor lifestyle choices and the critical importance of timely preventive screeningsThey highlighted how digital health wearable technology and artificial intelligence are transforming cardiac care delivery across India bridging the urbanrural divideldquoCardiovascular disease is no longer a problem of the elderly India is witnessing heart attacks striking far earlier with nearly 60 per cent of cases occurring below the age of 55 Prevention is the most costeffective strategy it costs only a fraction about onesixth of what treatment demands To achieve real progress we must strengthen hypertension control integrate mental health into heart care and raise awareness right from schools Addressing heart disease requires collective effort strong government policies private sector participation and societal acceptance of healthier choicesrdquo said Dr Sandeep Bansal Director Vardhman Mahavir Medical College amp Safdarjung HospitalAnil Rajput Chairperson Advisory Council Illness to Wellness Foundation lauded the governmentrsquos range of initiatives addressing heart health from the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer Diabetes Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke NPCDCS to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and PMJAY which provided preventive care early detection and financial protection for treatmentOther experts emphasised the importance of routine screenings emotional wellbeing balanced living and holistic lifestyle interventions They called for a national movement on heart health rooted in awareness preventive screening mental wellbeing emergency preparedness including CPR education and community participationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever