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New Delhi, August 14,2017 :
Though there are many diseases of the heart, but here we are talking today of only coronary heart disease, the most common & important heart disorder in the present world. In this disease, people develop deposits of fats, calcium & some other materials inside their coronary arteries (These deposits are called plaques and the disease is called atherosclerosis which supply blood to heart muscle.
Main symptoms of this disease are:
Angina: Any pain or discomfort in chest, jaw, upper part of tummy, left arm or even right arm which occurs on exertion, and gets better on taking rest.
- Acute heart attack called myocardial This occurs when one or more of coronary arteries get blocked 100% & suddenly. It needs immediate hospital care. Best is to immediate angioplasty, if that is not possible clot busting drugs (Thrombolytic) should be given.
- Sudden cardiac death, that means death due to heart disease which occurs within one hour of onset of symptoms.
Symptoms of heart failure. Breathlessness on exertion, tiredness, cough especially cough on lying down which becomes better in sitting posture. Swelling over feet etc.
We do not know completely why coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs but we do know it occurs much more in people who have CAD risk factors. Major ones are
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Raised cholesterol
- Family History
Preventive Measures of CAD
- Keep your weight and pet (tummy girth) in order. Tummy circumference should be below 95 cms in men & 85cms in women measured at the level of umbilicus in quite respiration.
- Maximum Weight should be below ,ย height in cms – 100
- Check your BP & blood sugars every 6 Blood level of bad (LDL) cholesterol once a year. Any fcrm of exercise test once in 2 years. Exercise test should be done every year in high risk individuals like diabetics , strong history of heart disease ,smokers etc.
- If you have blood pressure ,it should be properly controlled ,that means keeping BP below 140/90 in adults
- If you have diabetes ,good control of diabetes is must & good control means keeping HbA1c between 6-7
- Keep your LDL ( bad cholesterol ) below 100ย if you do not have CAD , but below 70 if youย have already established coronary artery disease.
- Regular exercise of about 45 min at least 5 days a week
- Decrease stress.
I would like to dwell more on stress.
We need to understand stress in life is not going to decrease, rather it is increasing with so called more development.
We just need to learn to handle stress. Well there is no simple recipe to do that but following things as below are worthwhile:
Do activities which relax you like sitting with friends & family, going out, taking holidays. Remember one thing that the time to enjoy & laugh is now, don’t postpone it.
Happy Mind Makes a Healthy Heart…
How does it work:
A happy mindset sets in motion a number of positive reactions. First and foremost, happiness contributes to a sense of wellยญbeing. Many healthy habits spring from this, such as getting a sufficient amount of sleep, exercising and eating a balanced diet all of which contribute to good cardiovascular health. These habits lead to better biological function, including healthier blood fat & normal blood pressure. This positive cycle can do more than just put a smile on our faces – it can keep us alive in healthy way.. It is impossible to be happy all the time and we’re bound to have a bad day once in a while. But a positive outlook on the situation can do a lot to change the way that bad day affects us.
And don’t forget to smile!
Dr T. S. KLER, Padma Bhushan Awardee
MD DM MRCP, FRCP, D.Sc
CHAIRMAN-PSRI HEART INSTITUTE
SAKET, DELHI
HealthySoch
