Lifestyle paths to prevent heart disease
(From previous issue) :
The World Health Organization data reveals that more than 60 percent of the world’s population is not physically active enough to induce health benefits. The reason behind it seems to be the lifestyle choice.
We would prefer to watch television or play computer games during leisure time instead of participating in sports or taking a walk in the nature. Thanks to modern gadgets and tools, domestic activities and occupational activities do not require much of physical activity. Passive mode of transport is also to blame for the declining physical activity levels.
The fault is not always ours. Urbanization has resulted in environmental factors which may discourage physical activity. Population explosion, increased levels of crime, high density traffic in cities, air pollution, and lack of parks or greeneries, all contribute directly or indirectly toward physical inactivity.
According to the WHO, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and contributes to six percent of deaths globally. Physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 30 percent of ischemic heart disease and 27 percent of diabetes burden.
Any bodily movement involving skeletal muscles, resulting in energy expenditure can be called physical activity. Physical activity does not mean just exercise, it also includes other activities such as walking, playing, dancing, cycling, house chores, and recreational activities.
Health benefits of physical activity are many.
It helps control weight. (Remember excessive weight obesity heart disease?)
It helps control blood glucose levels in a diabetic individual. Diabetics are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease.
It reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension and delays or prevents development of high blood pressure. It can also lower blood cholesterol levels which in turn decrease the risk for heart disease.
It helps improve blood circulation in the body and enables all organs (including heart) and muscles to work together more effectively.
It helps promote psychological well-being.
Higher levels of weekly physical activity can lower risk of 5 chronic conditions – Breast Cancer, Bowel (Colon) Cancer, Diabetes, Ischemic heart disease and Ischemic stroke.
Incidentally, you don’t have to achieve a high fitness level to get health benefits. A University of British Columbia review study confirmed the findings that walking at least two hours a week could reduce premature death from heart disease by up to 50 percent. They believe that even small increases in physical fitness are associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Report recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, ballroom dancing or gardening for adults.
The Heart Foundation recommends that we find ways to incorporate physical activity into our daily living. They suggest at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day to keep our heart healthy. The American Heart Association, on the other hand, recommends 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week to promote heart health.
Aerobic exercise is recommended for improving HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL cholesterol as these are associated with cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of control trials revealed that aerobic exercise for > or = 8 weeks in men 18 years of age or older significantly improved HDL cholesterol and reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides level.
You may be surprised to know that yoga, too, has the potential to retard progression and increase regression of atherosclerosis and other heart disease. An AIIMS study from India conducted a randomized, controlled trial in which men with coronary artery disease (CAD) were given yoga intervention for one year. Results revealed that yoga groups had significant reduction in number of anginal episodes per week, had significantly more lesions regressed and showed other heart benefits including decrease in body weight. There were no side effects.
Another study by U.S. physical therapy researchers found that typical hatha yoga sessions represent low levels of physical activity, similar to walking on a treadmill at 3.2 kph, and they do not meet recommendations of physical activity for improving cardiovascular fitness. However, they found that yoga practice involving sun salutation (Suryanamaskar) exceeding the minimum bout of 10 minutes may actually improve cardio-respiratory fitness in sedentary individuals.
On the whole, any mode of physical activity is beneficial to heart health as long as you do it on a regular basis and enjoy doing it. The thing is to get physical!
Benefits of Physical Activity for Healthy Heart
Smoking and Alcohol Intake
Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of premature death due to disease. An estimated 40,000 people die from cardiovascular disease because of passive smoking.
Smoking is, perhaps, the most widespread addiction. The WHO statistics show that more than 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily. It is the single largest preventable cause of premature death due to disease. Smoking related diseases kill one in ten adults globally. Apart from causing lung cancer, it is a high risk factor in heart disease and stroke.
Smoking is the major cause of atherosclerosis. The poisons such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, and ‘tars’ present in the cigarette damage the cells lining the coronary arteries and other blood vessels, and build up deposits of fats and plaque in them. Smoking decreases oxygen supply to the heart and other tissues and increases blood pressure and heart rate leading to development of coronary artery disease and other heart disease. The INTERHEART study found that current smoking is the second strongest risk after blood cholesterol risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). They found that consumption of 1-5 cigarettes daily increased the risk for AMI by 38 percent.
The risk of heart attack increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke. The longer you smoke, higher the risk. And that’s not all! When you smoke, you put people around you to danger. They are also at risk for developing health problems. This is called passive smoking and the American Heart Association estimates that about 40,000 people die from cardiovascular disease because of passive smoking.
The bottom line is ‘Quit smoking before it’s too late’. Save your family and friends from getting heart disease because you are addicted to smoke. The good news is your heart starts getting better from the day you stop smoking.
Alcohol is yet another addiction that can cause you a lot of harm if you don’t stop on time. Although drinking alcohol, especially wine, in moderation is good for heart, excessive alcohol consumption works the other way round and causes heart disease. Three to five drinks per week has a protective effect for heart (reduce it to two per week if you are a woman), but you don’t have to start drinking to protect your heart. There are other safer ways to protect your health. On the flip side, excessive alcohol consumption can increase hypertension and lead to heart disease. A study found that the risk of hypertension increases linearly with alcohol consumption of 50 g/day for men and 5 g/day for women.
This is how heavy drinking can affect your heart –
Heavy drinking raises the levels of triglycerides (type of fat) in the blood. High levels of triglycerides block the coronary artery and other blood vessels resulting in heart disease or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, alcohol damages the heart muscle and arteries and cause cardiomyopathy.
Binge drinking increases risk of atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia resulting in cardiac arrest and stroke.
Heavy drinking causes high blood pressure which in turn may cause stroke or heart failure.
Alcohol may also react with medication and drugs causing serious side effects.
Make the decision to quit alcohol and be committed to your decision if you are an alcoholic. Self help is the best help to begin with.
Smoking and Alcohol Intake – High Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease
Anger and Stress – Risk Factors for Heart Disease
William Harvey, the English physician who first described how heart receives and expels blood during each circle, wrote in 1628, “every affection of the mind that is attended either with pain or pleasure, hope or fear, is the cause of an agitation whose influence extends to the heart”.
Three centuries later, two psychiatrists – Friedman and Rosenman – while examining the relationship between diet and heart disease found that some people were more susceptible to heart disease than others irrespective of their sex, age, or geographic location. On further analysis they pinned this down to social, cultural and behavioral attitudes, and opened up a new field of inquiry into the mind-heart connection.
Stress is one of the modules in the mind-heart connection. So, what is this stress? One way to define it would be “the state in which individuals are faced with the need to make difficult or undesirable changes in order to adapt to events and situations in their lives”. Anger, frustration, depression, anxiety, fear, panic attacks, over-reaction to events, work-related stress, are all emotional indicators of stress.
The Framingham study on the relationship of psychosocial factors to coronary heart disease (CHD) showed that prevalence of CHD was significantly higher among middle-aged and older women who showed aging worries, tension, and anger symptoms. Similarly, among men under 65 years, aging worries, daily stress and tension were associated with prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI). Then again, a review of studies on stress and coronary heart disease by Expert Working Group of the National Heart Foundation of Australia concluded that although there was strong and consistent evidence on association between depression, anger, and social isolation and the causes of CHD, there was no consistent evidence for association between work related stressors and panic disorders and CHD.
How does stress cause heart disease? When you are in a stressful event, physiological changes occur to meet the associated demands in the body. A ‘fight -or- flight’ response occurs automatically in this situation and the pituitary gland at the base of the skull releases the hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) which stimulates the production of cortisol (stress hormone) and adrenaline-like substances by the adrenal glands. The heartbeat quickens, i.e., the heart pumps harder and faster and the blood pressure rises as well. Fats are transformed into fatty acids which then are delivered to the muscles along with the hormones.
The fatty acids are supposed to ‘burn up’ and supply fuel in response to the challenging physical demand. But if the stress is mental, the hormones and fats that are mobilized for action are not used up. The high heart rate and high blood pressure increase the turbulence in the bloodstream and may damage the cell linings of the arteries. To promote healing, blood platelets adhere to the injured walls and further thicken the arterial walls. The thickened arteries attract LDL cholesterol and over time this process speeds up atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.
The thickening of the coronary artery grows and significantly reduces the blood flow which then is not sufficient enough to support the pumping of the heart. This causes myocardial ischemia (MI). If the blockage in the coronary arteries is too severe, the mobilized stress hormones close it off further resulting in heart attack.
All is not lost, however. Just as fats, smoking, and alcoholism are modifiable risk factors, so is stress. A number of activities can have beneficial effect on stress.
Aerobic exercise reduces the level of stress-related hormones circulated in the blood.
Brisk walking may help ‘burn’ off the excess hormones produced during stress.
Relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, and Tai-Chi, if practiced regularly, help reduce the occurrence of stress.
Group therapy is useful for people who have had traumatic experiences or are bereaved.
Biofeedback, anger management training, and stress management therapy are other programs that help deal with anger and stress.
Laughter relieves anger, tension and hostility by over 80% and cuts heart attack risk by over 70%.
Take care of your stress, take care of your heart!
Tips for Getting Your Stress Under Control
Oral Health and Heart Disease
Periodontal disease is a risk factor for heart disease. Periodontitis a severe gum infection damages the tissues and bones that support the teeth.
Sore and swollen gums are the main signs of bacterial infection in the mouth. Inflammation caused by the periodontal disease increases the risk of heart diseases. Periodontitis can also exacerbate existing heart conditions.
Maintaining good oral hygiene may help in the prevention of heart disease.
Tips for Good Oral Health:
Brush the teeth twice daily to remove plaque.
Replace the old toothbrush every three months once.
Do not brush teeth right after meals, but after half an hour or so, as the loosened enamel could break leading to gum problems.
A healthy diet is necessary for good dental health. Include vegetables, celery, apples which are good for your teeth.
Regular dental checkups may promote good oral health.
(Concluded)
The World Health Organization data reveals that more than 60 percent of the world’s population is not physically active enough to induce health benefits. The reason behind it seems to be the lifestyle choice.
We would prefer to watch television or play computer games during leisure time instead of participating in sports or taking a walk in the nature. Thanks to modern gadgets and tools, domestic activities and occupational activities do not require much of physical activity. Passive mode of transport is also to blame for the declining physical activity levels.
The fault is not always ours. Urbanization has resulted in environmental factors which may discourage physical activity. Population explosion, increased levels of crime, high density traffic in cities, air pollution, and lack of parks or greeneries, all contribute directly or indirectly toward physical inactivity.
According to the WHO, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and contributes to six percent of deaths globally. Physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 30 percent of ischemic heart disease and 27 percent of diabetes burden.
Any bodily movement involving skeletal muscles, resulting in energy expenditure can be called physical activity. Physical activity does not mean just exercise, it also includes other activities such as walking, playing, dancing, cycling, house chores, and recreational activities.
Health benefits of physical activity are many.
It helps control weight. (Remember excessive weight obesity heart disease?)
It helps control blood glucose levels in a diabetic individual. Diabetics are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease.
It reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension and delays or prevents development of high blood pressure. It can also lower blood cholesterol levels which in turn decrease the risk for heart disease.
It helps improve blood circulation in the body and enables all organs (including heart) and muscles to work together more effectively.
It helps promote psychological well-being.
Higher levels of weekly physical activity can lower risk of 5 chronic conditions – Breast Cancer, Bowel (Colon) Cancer, Diabetes, Ischemic heart disease and Ischemic stroke.
Incidentally, you don’t have to achieve a high fitness level to get health benefits. A University of British Columbia review study confirmed the findings that walking at least two hours a week could reduce premature death from heart disease by up to 50 percent. They believe that even small increases in physical fitness are associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Report recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, ballroom dancing or gardening for adults.
The Heart Foundation recommends that we find ways to incorporate physical activity into our daily living. They suggest at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day to keep our heart healthy. The American Heart Association, on the other hand, recommends 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week to promote heart health.
Aerobic exercise is recommended for improving HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL cholesterol as these are associated with cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of control trials revealed that aerobic exercise for > or = 8 weeks in men 18 years of age or older significantly improved HDL cholesterol and reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides level.
You may be surprised to know that yoga, too, has the potential to retard progression and increase regression of atherosclerosis and other heart disease. An AIIMS study from India conducted a randomized, controlled trial in which men with coronary artery disease (CAD) were given yoga intervention for one year. Results revealed that yoga groups had significant reduction in number of anginal episodes per week, had significantly more lesions regressed and showed other heart benefits including decrease in body weight. There were no side effects.
Another study by U.S. physical therapy researchers found that typical hatha yoga sessions represent low levels of physical activity, similar to walking on a treadmill at 3.2 kph, and they do not meet recommendations of physical activity for improving cardiovascular fitness. However, they found that yoga practice involving sun salutation (Suryanamaskar) exceeding the minimum bout of 10 minutes may actually improve cardio-respiratory fitness in sedentary individuals.
On the whole, any mode of physical activity is beneficial to heart health as long as you do it on a regular basis and enjoy doing it. The thing is to get physical!
Benefits of Physical Activity for Healthy Heart
Smoking and Alcohol Intake
Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of premature death due to disease. An estimated 40,000 people die from cardiovascular disease because of passive smoking.
Smoking is, perhaps, the most widespread addiction. The WHO statistics show that more than 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily. It is the single largest preventable cause of premature death due to disease. Smoking related diseases kill one in ten adults globally. Apart from causing lung cancer, it is a high risk factor in heart disease and stroke.
Smoking is the major cause of atherosclerosis. The poisons such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, and ‘tars’ present in the cigarette damage the cells lining the coronary arteries and other blood vessels, and build up deposits of fats and plaque in them. Smoking decreases oxygen supply to the heart and other tissues and increases blood pressure and heart rate leading to development of coronary artery disease and other heart disease. The INTERHEART study found that current smoking is the second strongest risk after blood cholesterol risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). They found that consumption of 1-5 cigarettes daily increased the risk for AMI by 38 percent.
The risk of heart attack increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke. The longer you smoke, higher the risk. And that’s not all! When you smoke, you put people around you to danger. They are also at risk for developing health problems. This is called passive smoking and the American Heart Association estimates that about 40,000 people die from cardiovascular disease because of passive smoking.
The bottom line is ‘Quit smoking before it’s too late’. Save your family and friends from getting heart disease because you are addicted to smoke. The good news is your heart starts getting better from the day you stop smoking.
Alcohol is yet another addiction that can cause you a lot of harm if you don’t stop on time. Although drinking alcohol, especially wine, in moderation is good for heart, excessive alcohol consumption works the other way round and causes heart disease. Three to five drinks per week has a protective effect for heart (reduce it to two per week if you are a woman), but you don’t have to start drinking to protect your heart. There are other safer ways to protect your health. On the flip side, excessive alcohol consumption can increase hypertension and lead to heart disease. A study found that the risk of hypertension increases linearly with alcohol consumption of 50 g/day for men and 5 g/day for women.
This is how heavy drinking can affect your heart –
Heavy drinking raises the levels of triglycerides (type of fat) in the blood. High levels of triglycerides block the coronary artery and other blood vessels resulting in heart disease or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, alcohol damages the heart muscle and arteries and cause cardiomyopathy.
Binge drinking increases risk of atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia resulting in cardiac arrest and stroke.
Heavy drinking causes high blood pressure which in turn may cause stroke or heart failure.
Alcohol may also react with medication and drugs causing serious side effects.
Make the decision to quit alcohol and be committed to your decision if you are an alcoholic. Self help is the best help to begin with.
Smoking and Alcohol Intake – High Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease
Anger and Stress – Risk Factors for Heart Disease
William Harvey, the English physician who first described how heart receives and expels blood during each circle, wrote in 1628, “every affection of the mind that is attended either with pain or pleasure, hope or fear, is the cause of an agitation whose influence extends to the heart”.
Three centuries later, two psychiatrists – Friedman and Rosenman – while examining the relationship between diet and heart disease found that some people were more susceptible to heart disease than others irrespective of their sex, age, or geographic location. On further analysis they pinned this down to social, cultural and behavioral attitudes, and opened up a new field of inquiry into the mind-heart connection.
Stress is one of the modules in the mind-heart connection. So, what is this stress? One way to define it would be “the state in which individuals are faced with the need to make difficult or undesirable changes in order to adapt to events and situations in their lives”. Anger, frustration, depression, anxiety, fear, panic attacks, over-reaction to events, work-related stress, are all emotional indicators of stress.
The Framingham study on the relationship of psychosocial factors to coronary heart disease (CHD) showed that prevalence of CHD was significantly higher among middle-aged and older women who showed aging worries, tension, and anger symptoms. Similarly, among men under 65 years, aging worries, daily stress and tension were associated with prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI). Then again, a review of studies on stress and coronary heart disease by Expert Working Group of the National Heart Foundation of Australia concluded that although there was strong and consistent evidence on association between depression, anger, and social isolation and the causes of CHD, there was no consistent evidence for association between work related stressors and panic disorders and CHD.
How does stress cause heart disease? When you are in a stressful event, physiological changes occur to meet the associated demands in the body. A ‘fight -or- flight’ response occurs automatically in this situation and the pituitary gland at the base of the skull releases the hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) which stimulates the production of cortisol (stress hormone) and adrenaline-like substances by the adrenal glands. The heartbeat quickens, i.e., the heart pumps harder and faster and the blood pressure rises as well. Fats are transformed into fatty acids which then are delivered to the muscles along with the hormones.
The fatty acids are supposed to ‘burn up’ and supply fuel in response to the challenging physical demand. But if the stress is mental, the hormones and fats that are mobilized for action are not used up. The high heart rate and high blood pressure increase the turbulence in the bloodstream and may damage the cell linings of the arteries. To promote healing, blood platelets adhere to the injured walls and further thicken the arterial walls. The thickened arteries attract LDL cholesterol and over time this process speeds up atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.
The thickening of the coronary artery grows and significantly reduces the blood flow which then is not sufficient enough to support the pumping of the heart. This causes myocardial ischemia (MI). If the blockage in the coronary arteries is too severe, the mobilized stress hormones close it off further resulting in heart attack.
All is not lost, however. Just as fats, smoking, and alcoholism are modifiable risk factors, so is stress. A number of activities can have beneficial effect on stress.
Aerobic exercise reduces the level of stress-related hormones circulated in the blood.
Brisk walking may help ‘burn’ off the excess hormones produced during stress.
Relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, and Tai-Chi, if practiced regularly, help reduce the occurrence of stress.
Group therapy is useful for people who have had traumatic experiences or are bereaved.
Biofeedback, anger management training, and stress management therapy are other programs that help deal with anger and stress.
Laughter relieves anger, tension and hostility by over 80% and cuts heart attack risk by over 70%.
Take care of your stress, take care of your heart!
Tips for Getting Your Stress Under Control
Oral Health and Heart Disease
Periodontal disease is a risk factor for heart disease. Periodontitis a severe gum infection damages the tissues and bones that support the teeth.
Sore and swollen gums are the main signs of bacterial infection in the mouth. Inflammation caused by the periodontal disease increases the risk of heart diseases. Periodontitis can also exacerbate existing heart conditions.
Maintaining good oral hygiene may help in the prevention of heart disease.
Tips for Good Oral Health:
Brush the teeth twice daily to remove plaque.
Replace the old toothbrush every three months once.
Do not brush teeth right after meals, but after half an hour or so, as the loosened enamel could break leading to gum problems.
A healthy diet is necessary for good dental health. Include vegetables, celery, apples which are good for your teeth.
Regular dental checkups may promote good oral health.
(Concluded)
