This article is a part of World Heart Week series in association with Kauvery Hospital.
“When my parents warned me against pushing myself so hard, I ignored them. I thought if I worked hard now, I could take life easier when I got older,” says 29-year-old Mahesh, who worked at an advertising agency till a few months ago.
Unfortunately for Mahesh, his job and its stresses pushed him in the wrong direction, toward a mild heart attack. “It was such a shock. I thought I had a lot more time to start taking care of myself, that I could start focusing on my health when I hit 35. Whoever thinks that they could get a heart attack in their 20s?” he says.
For most of us, heart attacks are a problem for middle-aged and older adults. However, experts say that this is no more the case for Indians, particularly those living in urban and metropolitan areas. Globally, young Indians are 18% more prone to heart attacks.
According to the Indian Heart Association, 50% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur under the age of 50, and 25% occur under the age of 40.
The situation is worrying for young women as well. In most circumstances, women tend to have heart attacks later than men due to the effects of the hormone estrogen. However, says Dr S Aravindakumar, Chief Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Kauvery Heartcity, Trichy, increased stress and unhealthy lifestyles are nullifying this benefit. “We find more and more women are having heart attacks at a younger age. The hormone estrogen is no more protective,” he asserts.
It’s never too early to start paying attention to heart health, as early prevention measures are much more effective at heading off a cardiac crisis, says Dr T Senthil Kumar, Chief Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon. “An emergency ceases to exist if we’re prepared for it,” he says.
One of the biggest risk factors for developing heart disease is tobacco consumption, whether smoked in the form of cigarettes, cigars or beedis, or consumed orally. Tobacco has multiple effects on heart health by impacting blood circulation, and the cells and vessels of the heart. However, quitting early makes a massive difference. Indeed, within one year of quitting, a person’s risk of coronary disease falls to about half that of a smoker’s. However, reducing that risk to the level of a non-smoker takes a full 15 years.
Indians generally have a poor balance of good and bad cholesterols because of genetic and lifestyle factors. Further, the risk of heart disease for Indians is double that of other ethnic groups at any level of cholesterol. Indians are also genetically at greater risk for diabetes, tending to be more insulin resistant because of historical patterns of diets with lower energy levels. However, this has turned into a disadvantage for younger generations of Indians, who have adopted much more calorie-rich diets. Cholesterol, diabetes and obesity all significantly contribute to heart disease.
Adopting a heart healthy diet, therefore, requires reducing saturated and trans fats, salt, sugar and simple carbohydrates. Doctors advise switching from rice to more complex carbohydrates such as millets, moving away from unhealthy cooking practices like deep frying, increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruits and nuts, and switching over to healthy non-vegetarian products such as fish.
Exercise has a significant effect on nearly all the factors that contribute to heart disease. It lowers blood pressure, affects weight control, improves muscle strength to reduce the workload on the heart, helps quit smoking, slows down the development of diabetes, lowers stress and reduces inflammation.
While it’s important to incorporate at least around 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise daily, experts point out that being sedentary the rest of the time can be problematic. In general, doctors say, it’s important to keep active and moving as much as possible throughout the day.
Stress and emotional distress increase the levels of inflammatory hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine in the blood. Increased inflammation is a significant contributor to heart attacks. Further, stress and mental illness also affect the development of obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Chronic stress increases the risk of heart diseases threefold.
Exercise, meditation, healthy eating, and avoiding foods like alcohol, caffeine and excess sugar can all contribute to improving mental health. However, it’s also important to seek professional help when facing mental health concerns.
To take good care of one’s heart, it’s important to pick a good cardiac care centre when in need, says Dr Senthil Kumar. “When your heart is in distress, the best thing you can do is go to the right hospital,” he observes.
The right cardiac hospital should combine cutting-edge technologies and strong foundations of patient care. It should also include comprehensive expertise, from diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitative specialists to cardiac nurses and technicians.
Kauvery Heartcity, for instance, is a dedicated cardiac centre with 100 beds dedicated to cardiac care. “The best treatments are available here and our goal is to send you home safe and healthy,” says Dr Senthil.
This series was produced by TNM Brand Studio in association with Kauvery Hospital.