From Treatment to Prevention: Containing the Heart Disease Epidemic is Possible with Simple Lifestyle Changes

At a special interactive session at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, leading Cardiologist Dr. Tapan Ghose, Director and HOD, Cardiology discusses the pertinent issue of cardiac disease prevention

‘Coffee with Cardiologist’ is an initiative by Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon to raise awareness among people about prevention and treatment

Gurgaon, September 23, 2015: It is not every day that patients, families and other health conscious people get to share a platform with a Cardiologist and discuss their queries and apprehensions about heart disease and its prevention. At Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, today a special interactive session brought a leading heart specialist face to face with people at an informal platform outside an OPD.

At a ‘Coffee with Cardiologists’ session , cardiac specialist Dr. Tapan Ghose, HOD and Director, Cardiology interacted with patients and their families to discuss a range of heart related issues, and addressed the queries of the patients regarding prevention and treatment.

“We all know cardiac disease has emerged as the biggest health threat to India, with the hypertension, diabetes and overweight acting as the main culprits in fuelling the burden. Naturally, people have a lot of questions in their minds and they want to know how to reduce their risk of acquiring heart disease and how to live a productive life with heart disease. While 20 years back, it was genetic predisposition that made a person most prone to heart disease, today it is lifestyle that needs to be addressed,” said Dr. Bharat Kukreti , Senior Consultant , Cardiology

The doctor interacted at length with the audience and spoke about controllable risk factors that, if managed, can prevent almost half the instances of coronary artery disease. “The radically changed lifestyles of urban living have brought many people under the bracket of risk. Also, the average age of people reporting a heart disorder is coming down today. Resultantly, India is a country that has one of the largest numbers of heart patients below 60 years of age. The most important message to be drilled is the fact that almost half of coronary artery disease can be prevented by controlling blood pressure, diabetes and weight,” added Dr. Supertiksh Yadav , Consultant, Cardiology

How to Reduce Risk Factors:

Control Weight: Rising instances of obesity is a major consequence of sedentary lifestyles and faulty eating habits. Your maximum weight in kgs should be height in cms minus 100 at any age; Also the risk of heart disease increases proportionally to the increase of your abdominal girth.

Control of diabetes, hypertension and LDL: Diabetes and hypertension magnify risk of both coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac arrest. Keeping weight under check and adopting regular exercise are vital to control these factors. Never skip prescribed hypertension medicine.

Exercise: 45 minutes of moderate daily exercise, at least 5 days a week, performing yoga or meditation, will go a long way to prevent heart attacks & sudden cardiac death.

Avoid Smoking: Smoking increases risk of coronary heart disease by narrowing arteries over a sustained period of time. Quitting immediately cuts the risk.
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)