HALE 'N' HEARTY

LET YOUR HEART NOT SKIP A BEAT. AND TO ENSURE THIS SIMPLY START NOW. A LITTLE REGULAR EXERCISE AND A LITTLE MORE CARE IN WHAT YOU EAT WILL ENABLE YOU AVOID THAT EMERGENCY TRIP TO THE DOCTOR

 The hectic pace of city life and the rapidly changing lifestyles are adding up to cause an alarming increase in the incidence of heart attacks among the upwardly mobile youth. How you think, feel and live your life affects your heart. Unhealthy food habits and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity and a chain of problems. However, working out or adopting a disciplined exercise regimen can help in keeping weight in check.

We all know the risk factors that could lead to a heart attack. However, many of us choose to ignore them, conveniently forgetting their long term consequences. It's time to take a look at your lifestyle, family history and general health.

Risk factors such as age, familial history, high blood pressure, high 'bad' cholesterol, blood sugar levels combined with your height, weight and waist measurement can all be assessed and you can take actions to reduce your risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke.

THERE ARE FIFTEEN MAJOR RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HEART DISEASE AND STROKE:

1. Increased cholesterol in the blood
2. Increased triglycerides
3. Decreased HDL in the blood
4. High LDL levels
5.  High VLDL cholesterol
6. Decreased cholesterol: HDL Ratio
7.  High blood pressure
8.  High blood sugar
9.  Lack of exercise and physical activity
10.  Smoking and tobacco consumption
11.  Obesity or overweight
12.  Lack of fiber in food
13.   Lack of antioxidants in diet
14.  Alcohol consumption
15.  Psychological stress

Stress could also be responsible for many heart problems, researchers say. Stress is basically due to five overloads: work overload (excess work), time overload (acute shortage of time), information overload (excess burden of information to the brain), requirement overload (excess desire to excess or material needs) and lastly illness overload (stress due to illness). Each working person should remember these five points every day and try to work on them.

A WORD OF CAUTION

The onset of a heart attack can be detected with a few visible warning signs like chest discomfort while walking, and/or shortness of breath etc. But, it is important to note that many heart attacks can be silent without any symptoms or without much forewarning.

PREVENTION

Although people who are genetically predisposed to heart attacks cannot actually reverse the risk, they can make amends by trying to lead a sensible lifestyle by making a few modifications in their food and exercise habits. Wockhardt Hospitals, one of Asia's fastest growing Super Speciality Hospital groups, has made noteworthy contribution in the areas of medical super specialties like Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Urology Surgery India, Nephrology, Minimal Access Surgery, Critical Care, Medical and Surgical Oncology and Endocrinology. Associated with Harvard Medical International - the global arm of Harvard Medical School, USA - Wockhardt Hospitals is the first hospital group in South Asia to be recognised by the American Blue Cross and Blue Shield association in its worldwide network of participating hospitals. The N M Virani Wockhardt Hospital based in Rajkot boasts of being the first NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare) accredited hospital in the Saurashtra & Kutch region. This accreditation resembles the highest standards of patient care and quality medical services to one and all.

HEART CARE TECHNOLOGY

"The latest in heart care technology is the non invasive treatments called Natural Bypass and Biochemical Angioplasty. ECP or Natural Bypass (Pneumatically Assisted Natural Bypass or PANB) is the latest gadget developed in USA which gives us the ultimate non invasive treatment of heart disease. In this treatment, using a series of cuffs the muscles of the lower part of the body are squeezed to increase the blood reaching the heart arteries. This opens up millions of small arteries (called Collaterals) in the heart giving a natural bypass. This treatment has become very popular in the USA, China and is being paid by the insurance companies because of the lower cost and results. Biochemical Cleaning or Biochemical Angioplasty (BCA) is another technique which holds a lot of promise. Here a mixture of chemicals including blockage eroding EDTA is infused in the blood stream over three hours. This treatment has also become popular in USA and Govt. has now taken up a big research study to establish this treatment. It can remove the blockages from 5-50% within a span of few months. Both these treatments should be combined with lifestyle changes in order to get maximum and longtime results," says Dr Bimal Chhajer, MD of SAAOL (The Science & Art of Living), which offers a complete solution to heart blockages at its centres through Natural Bypass and Biochemical treatments. SAAOL, which has patient education programmes called HLTP (Heart Life Style Training Program) to educate the heart patients on reversal of heart disease, claims to have treated more than 20,000 patients all over the country by their non invasive methods with 98% results - methods that focus on changing the mentality of the heart patients and enable them initiate a healthy lifestyle, whilst aiming at preventing heart disease.

TIPS TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE

• ·       Zero oil cooking: Oil (the other name of Triglycerides) is the main culprit to block the heart tubes
  ·         Check your Lipid profile and control if they are high: Every adult must check his lipid profile once in a year. Heart patients should do it once in three months. If the figures are high - diet should change and if not controlled statins (medicines to reduce Cholesterol) and Fenofibrates (medicines to reduce Triglycerides) must start.
  ·         Practice yoga and stress management
  ·         Thirty five minutes of walk: It is very important to walk at least 35 minutes every day if you want to prevent heart attacks. The speed will vary from patient to patient. Walk should be at a speed below the angina threshold.
  ·         Include plenty of fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables will provide fiber and antioxidants which will protect the heart from Cholesterol blockages.
  ·         Control blood pressure and sugar: Consult your physician if you cannot control these two by lifestyle alone.