Tackling early onset of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of death and disability in India. We Indians are prone to heart disease due to genetic predisposition and rampant prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and tobacco consumption. The disease is characterised by its premature occurrence; around 50% heart attack patients are less than 50 years old, and 25% are less than 40.
A study says people born after 1970 are more prone to heart disease due to less sensitive attitude towards risk factors. India, we say, is a country of young with 65% population below 50 years of age. But, are we healthy?
Heart diseases, as much as we take into account all factors, are majorly because of our bad habits. This means our poor lifestyle choices, including diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, etc. Our urban youngsters have an irregular lifestyle, with high stress of meeting targets on time. They are not giving enough time to their bodies to recover from daily stress.
Modifiable reasons for increasing heart attacks in young include: Diabetes: It is one of the biggest risk factors, majorly caused by dietary choices such as exposure and access to ultra-processed food, sedentary lifestyle and decreased physical activity
Smoking Hypertension
Obesity
Alcohol consumption
Lack of fruit and vegetable intake Too much time sitting at one place High cholesterol
SOLUTION
The solution lies in the reasons itself. Young people are fortunate that if they can change their lifestyle, the chances of progression of heart disease and eventually heart attacks comes down multifold, compared to middle-aged and the elderly.
Certain steps that can help reduce the chances of heart attacks are: Will power: People need to be strong to make lifestyle changes Smoking: Quit smoking; it’s the biggest risk factor for heart attack Right diet: By consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole greens, we can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 62-85%. Beans, other low-fat sources of protein and certain types of fish can also reduce risk of heart disease. Healthy fats from plant-based sources such as avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil can help your heart by lowering the bad type of cholesterol.
Diabetes screening: Keep your blood sugar levels under control Hypertension: Ensure blood pressure is in the range of 120/80 Exercise: Workout daily without fail for at least 30 minutes