We spoke to Dr. N Sandeep and Dr. Monica E Florence. T, Consultant Intervention Cardiology, Manipal hospitals Vijayawada who gave us some essential modifications to our daily life to avoid heart-related problems
The death of President Roosevelt was the cornerstone for setting up one of the 1st health projects in the USA– the Framingham heart study – to identify the common factors contributing to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
This study identified many risk factors for CVD, some of which can be controlled (modifiable) - High BP; high blood cholesterol levels, smoking, diabetes, overweight or obesity, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet and stress. Those that cannot be controlled (conventional) are - Age (simply getting older increases risk); sex (men are at greater risk); family history, and race.
4 daily habits inculcated due to urbanization and industrialization contribute to most of these modifiable risk factors.
Physical Inactivity
Aim to do 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week – that’s about 20–30 minutes a day. Make sure you do 10-minute bursts that make you breathe harder and feel your heart beat faster, to add up to at least 20–30 minutes a day. Evidence demonstrates the advantages of large muscle group resistance training exercises. Every two to three days
Even if you exercise 30 minutes a day, what you do with the other 23 hours of the day still matters. Try to stand for eight minutes; every 20 minutes, you sit down and move around for two minutes. According to study, if you sit still for more than 10 hours, your risk of cardiovascular disease increases significantly.
Smoking
Cigarette smoking approximately doubles the risk, and secondhand smokers have a 25 to 30% increased risk of morbidity and mortality from ischemic heart disease compared with a lifetime of not smoking, and the risk is related to the duration and amount of exposure to smoking. Even smokeless tobacco products are also harmful and contain over 2000 chemical compounds, including nicotine, leading to chronic hypertension.
After quitting, there are both short-term and long-term health advantages. Your heart rate starts to calm down after 20 minutes of not smoking. In just 12 hours after quitting, the blood's level of carbon monoxide returns to normal, allowing more oxygen to reach crucial organs like the heart. Four years after you stop smoking, your risk of stroke drops to that of a lifetime nonsmoker.
Junk Food
Ultra-processed carbohydrates promote weight gain and increase the risk of post-prandial hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, sympathetic hyperactivity, and hypercoagulability, all CVD risk factor. In addition to genetics and other factors, a dietary intake of unhealthful non-meat, plant-based foods (juices, sweetened beverages, ultra-refined grains, potatoes/fries, and sweets) may help account for a relatively high rate of CVD among many vegetarians from India. In addition to lower BMI, the reduction in CVD events among hunter-gatherer populations may be partially related to reduced dependence on sunshine for feeding, resulting in eating habits that are more in sync with circadian rhythms.
The Mediterranean Diet and "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" are the "diets" having the best evidence for preventing CVD (DASH). Both eating routines focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products without added fat or with reduced fat, fish, poultry, lean meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fibre.
Regular Alcohol Binging, Late Night partying and Lack of Adequate Sleep with Next Day Morning Work Stress (Physical and Physiological)
Excessive alcohol intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke and cardiomyopathy, a disorder that affects the heart muscle. Adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression, some of which raise the danger of heart problems such heart attacks and stroke. Also Read: Experiencing 'Quiet firing' at your workplace? Here is how you can handle it
Moderate drinking (advised in guidelines) is an average of one drink per day for women and one or two for men. 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits may not be as much as you think. Also Read: Do you think your partner is lying? Simple ways to deal with a pathological liar in a relationship