Power Your Heart In The Right Way

Dr. Anilkumar R
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
Aster Medcity, Kochi

Heart diseases are becoming very common in our society. This is resulting in a large number of deaths and disability in the productive group of our population.

Heart attacks are happening in India, at least ten years earlier than in the West. Our cardiac intensive care and post angioplasty wards have patients in their 40s and 50s. The sad fact is that at least 75% of these heart diseases are prevented by simple measures such as controlling sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure and adopting a healthy lifestyle. This is something which we need to educate everyone about.

World Heart Foundation is observing World Heart Day every year on September 29 to popularize the preventive measures which control heart disease. The target of the World Heart Foundation is to reduce 25% of the heart diseases by the year 2025. This concept is very important as more than 1.5 lakh individuals fall prey to heart disease every year in Kerala, and more than 110 people lose their lives to heart attacks almost every day.

In this context, it is important to realize that our high literacy levels are not converting to better health parameters. In fact, literacy has made the individual aware of the side effects of a treatment more than the benefits. That is why the average patient, despite checking his cholesterol, sugar and B. P. does not benefit from good control of his risk factors. He does not want to take lifelong medications to prevent heart disease and does not want any side effects. The side effects of the medicines that are highlighted often happen in less than 1% of the population. However, the benefits of good control of sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure far outweigh the risks.

To add to the prevailing misconceptions are the messages that circulate in the social media about cholesterol not being the culprit or coughing therapy for a heart attack.

Dr. Google and Advisor Whatsapp have become genuine heart risk factors. One news item about the side effects of aspirin is enough to make many a patient stop the aspirin they have been prescribed.

Skipping aspirin can have dangerous consequences for a patient who has a stent inserted in him. His stent can suddenly block and cause a heart attack or even result in cardiac arrest. It is important to discuss any such medical issues and doubts with your medical doctor before taking any drastic step like stopping, changing or adding any medication based on something you have read online or heard from a layperson.

Beyond this, it is essential to have a healthy lifestyle. Say no to smoking and exercise regularly.

One must remember that the heart is one of the most critical organs that function in the body. In a lifetime, the heart beats more than 3.5 billion times. Everyday the average heart pumps about 7500 liters of blood. Hence it is essential that we take care of our heart.

On the occasion of World Heart Day, let us ‘share the power’ of how to keep the heart healthy!