Cardiovascular diseases top the list of health conditions that cause millions of deaths globally each year. But, do you take sufficient care of your heart health? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), An estimated 17.9 million people died from Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% are due to heart attack and stroke.
Our expert cardiologist, Dr. M.S.S. Mukharjee, MD, DM & DNB Cardiology, founder-director of Pulse Heart Centre and Director (Dept. of cardiology) at Medicover Hospitals, Hyderabad says, “Although it is quite difficult to exactly define it, we can say that a healthy heart is one which functions normally, having no structural or functional abnormalities. Usually, the heart of a healthy person beats at the rate of 60-100 times per minute, without any irregularity, and generates a Blood Pressure of 120/80 (Systolic/Diastolic). However, certain abnormalities may not reflect in the heart rate. Therefore, other tests or check-ups may be required as per the symptoms and age”.
Fundamental Heart Conditions
There are many conditions that may be related to the heart and here are some of them as explained by Dr. Mukharjee:
- Ischemic Heart Disease in which there is a decreased blood supply to the heart itself.
- Valvular Heart Disease in which there is a defect in any one of the 4 valves, i.e. mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and pulmonary.
- Congenital Heart Disease, a heart disease that is present in the person since birth.
- Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances in which, the heart may be structurally normal, but the heart may beat slow, fast or irregularly
- Pericardial Diseases, where the covering of the heart called pericardium is affected
- Endocarditis, a heart infection, which usually happens over the valves, but can also happen in the covering of the heart
- Heart Cancer, which is a rare heart condition
- The disease of Heart Muscle, where the heart muscle may become weak, leading to heart failure.
What To Do?
Here is what Dr. Mukharjee suggests:
- Find out your risk factors and control them. These include hypertension, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, obesity, etc.
- Reduce the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol in the food you consume
- Avoid excess intake of carbohydrates, sweets, and alcohol
- Consume fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and dry fruits
- Eggs can be consumed
- Prefer lean meat (like chicken) over dark meat (like mutton)
- Reduce the amount of oil, ghee, or butter used in cooking as they contain a lot of fat. Also, avoid too much intake of salt.
- Avoid smoking completely
- Exercise every day, at least 5 days a week. 30-45 minutes of brisk walking is also advised.
- Keep a check on your weight. Maintain a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 25.
- Maintain proper psychological health. Increased stress can affect the heart negatively.
Therefore, following a healthy lifestyle and food habits will result in a healthy heart. Also, do not ignore the warning signs your body may give you and consult a doctor immediately.
