Why you need to take your heart health seriously

The Covid19 pandemic and the last year has shown how many people including celebrities have succumbed to heart attacks These not only include old but also young people who have suffered from it due to different reasons Every yearSeptember 29is celebrated as World Heart Day to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases of which heart attacks are always a concernCity doctors say the reasons for heart attacks in young and old people donrsquot differ a lot and are more or less the same At the same time they observe that people dont take heart health seriously when in fact it should be prioritised by people across age groupsMidday Online spoke to Dr Pravin Kahale consultant cardiology Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Dr Parin Sangoi consultant cardiologist Wockhardt Hospitals to understand why heart attacks and heart health should be a concern for individuals of all ages They dwell on how the newage lifestyle and habits are the main reason They also stress on the need for people to address risk factors early and avoid processed foodsA lot of younger celebrities and other people have had heart attacks in the last one year What is the reason for the rise in the number of young people getting heart attacksKahale A shift in the age for heart attacks has been observed in the past decade There are a majority of reasons attributed for this It includes a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise leading to the possibility of prediabetes and diabetes in young adults Smoking or drug abuse is also another reason why people get heart attacks One of the main reasons is excess calorie consumption in addition to the lack of sleep and stressSangoi Heart disease is a leading cause of death in our country and its a burden on the healthcare systems In recent years we have seen cases where many young people are at risk of heart diseases The reason behind this is the fad of diet stress silent diseases not being diagnosed sedentary lifestyle and at times overdoing workoutsWhile younger people have heart attacks it is also known to affect many older people Are there any different factors in both the age groups getting heart attacksKahale The reasons for heart attacks in young and old people donrsquot differ a lot and are more or less the sameSangoi In older people diabetes hypertension cholesterol obesity and lack of sleep are the causes of heart attacksHeart health may not be taken as seriously as it should be Do you think people take heart health for granted Why should everybody be concerned about itKahale Cardiac health is not taken seriously and it needs to be prioritised One of the best ways to do this is by addressing the risk factors associated with heart attacks People with high blood sugar or obesity do not take significant measures till they suffer a heart attack People often neglect heart health till it affects their entire body and has major consequencesSangoi Heart is a crucial organ of our body One must look at heart health seriously Many people take it for granted by not paying much attention to their health The earlier the diagnosis the easier it is to treat itWhat are the causes of bad heart healthKahaleRisk factors1 Lack of exercise2 Overeating3 Obesity4 Lack of sleep5 Stress6 Air pollution7 Food pollutionThis increases the risk of ailments like diabetes blood pressure and cholesterol which leads to heart attacksSangoi Pay attention to every detail of the body The causes and signs of a bad heart are cholesterol smoking excess alcohol consumption diabetes blood pressure drugs over exertion sedentary lifestyle lack of sleep and stressWhat are the effects of bad heart health Please also name the disease associated with itKahale A bad heart is an automatic indicator of an unhealthy body Our heart health is a reflection of the health of our body and bad heart health is associated with other diseases that include liver diseases diabetes and cholesterolSangoi Bad heart health leads to further worsening of diabetes and blood pressure due to decreased pumping capacity of the heart heart failure and irregular heart rhythmWhat are the different foods that people can eat to have better heart healthKahale Avoid eating processed foods Cutting down our carbohydrate intake helps us have better heart health Foods that improve it include salads fruits healthy fats and vegetablesSangoi There are various ways to keep your heart healthy Eating a wholesome meal green leafy vegetables and pulses to your diet Avoid junk and deepfried food and eat meals on time People should also do a regular health checkup after the age of 40Please share tips to maintain proper heart healthKahale1 Maintaining ideal weight2 Good exercise regime3 Healthy amount of sleep4 Cutting down on salt and sugar5 Regular Blood pressure maintenance6 Maintaining our cholesterol and diabetes at a safe threshold7 Regular body checkupsSangoi Activities and exercises one must keep in mind are slow body stretches daily walks of at least 30 minutes for five days a week is very important However everything should be in moderationWhat are the activities and exercises that people should do and avoid in younger or old age to prevent heart attacks and maintain heart healthKahale If the patient does not have any cardiac ailments then they should involve themselves in all types of physical activities which includes walking running and other exercises But an exercise limitation is important if one suffers from cardiac ailments Patients with cardiac ailments are usually involved in activities of lsquoCardiac Rehabrsquo which has proven to show better health outcomesSangoi Younger age groups should take up jogging cycling and moderate weightlifting In the older age group brisk walking will be goodAlso Read Three years of vape ban Experts say the move does more harm than good for smokers trying to quit