How you can reduce your risk of heart disease with proven prevention strategies?
How you can reduce your risk of heart disease with proven prevention strategies?
- Introduction
- Why is prevention and control of cardiovascular disease important for Indians?
- Preventive measures of cardiovascular disease
- Top strategies for prevention cardiovascular disease
- Other tips for prevention for cardiovascular disease
- What are modifiable and non-modifiable reasons for heart disease?
Introduction
One of India’s famous television show comedians, Sunil Grover had a heart attack in 2022, and underwent a surgery. He survived and continues to lead a normal life with modifications in lifestyle. There are many examples of Indians emerging out of heart disease, due to timely treatment. However, these situations could have been avoided with the right cardiovascular disease prevention strategies. With the right approach, you can avoid the condition or reduce the effects of the condition. Here is how you can reduce your risk through practical methods.
Why is prevention and control of cardiovascular disease important for Indians?
Before we look at prevention strategies, let’s first take a look at the reasons that put South Asians more at risk of heart disease. Statistics show that the number of South Asians with diabetes, high blood pressure is very high, compared to other ethnicities.
This is because people from South Asia store fat in a manner that is different from others. The fat is in heavy concentration on the liver, and around abdominal organs. This is one of the reasons for higher prevalence of diabetes and resultant cardiovascular disease. Similarly, South Asians are known to have higher levels of lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a). This is known to put the person at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Preventive measures of cardiovascular disease
With the reasons for cardiovascular disease highlighted above, it is time to look at prevention strategies. You need to reduce your risk due to the following reasons that contribute to risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Wrong diet.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Smoking.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Existing health conditions – hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes.
- Obesity.
- Genetic reasons.
- Ethnicity.
- Psychological reasons, stress.
- Age, gender.
- Environmental reasons.
- Inflammatory, autoimmune conditions.
Top strategies for prevention cardiovascular disease
The above section has listed out the reasons that need to be tackled in order to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Here is how you can put these in practice as part of prevention strategies to reduce your risk.
- Do not smoke – This should be the first action point if you are a smoker. If you are not a smoker, stay away from places that are designated smoking rooms. Smoking reduces oxygen levels in the blood, and this increases blood pressure levels and heart beat rate.
- Ensure daily activity of one hour – This is an effective method, with multiple benefits. From reducing weight, to helping in regulating blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. All of these are contributing factors to cardiovascular disease. You need to have a routine that could include brisk walking, running, strength training etc.
- Stick to the right diet – Your diet is a major contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, choose a diet that is good for your heart. This should typically include, vegetables, fruits, lean meat, fish, whole grains, healthy fat and airy products that are free from fat.
The first step in dietary modification should be reduction of salt, sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed food, saturated fat, and trans-fat.
- Keep your weight under strict control – Monitor your weight and keep it under control. Overweight people are at risk of heart disease through high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Your body mass index (BMI) should never be 25 or more than 25.
If you find your weight to be on the higher side, target small weight loss goals. For example, try to bring your down by 5%. This will bring clear benefits such as lower triglycerides and lower blood sugar levels.
- Tackle stress – This is an overlooked reason and it is important that you take necessary measures to keep stress under control. Stress increases blood pressure levels apart from causing behavior changes that can increase your risk. For example, people with stress end up overeating, drinking or smoking.
- Screening – Periodic monitoring of your health is mandatory. Especially if there are any factors that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. This screening will be a marker and help you understand when you need stronger measures to reduce your risk. The tests that you need to take periodically include blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
- Avoid infections – Some infections are known to contribute to heart health issues. The best option is to avoid getting infections through proper vaccination and other preventive health care methods.
Other tips for prevention for cardiovascular disease
In addition to the above prevention strategies, it is necessary to be aware if you are genetically predisposed. You should also include one-time genetic testing to screen for genetic predisposition to heart disease.
You need to check if you have a family history of heart disease. Similarly, genetic testing will let you know if you have any genetic mutations from birth. Finally, genetic testing will also determine if you have any inherited conditions that put you at risk of heart disease. Advanced genetic testing facilities are now available in Tamil Nādu, that help you check for these risks through blood or saliva sample analysis.
What are modifiable and non-modifiable reasons for heart disease?
There are certain reasons for cardiovascular disease that can be modified through medications, lifestyle changes etc. For example, you can reduce your weight, your cholesterol levels and your blood pressure levels. These are all known as modifiable risk factors.
There are other reasons that cannot be modified. For example, advancing age is known to be a non-modifiable risk factor. Similarly, inherited conditions, your ethnicity and gender cannot be changed. The only option in the event of non-modifiable risk factors is to have a clear understanding of the risk and take suitable remedial measures to reduce the risk. This could be in the form of medications, in surgical procedures and having a proper response system in place.
This will help you deal with all risks more effectively and in a timely manner. Remember, a large number of people have been saved from heart disease due to timely intervention. The best bet, however, would be to get yourself screened, learn of your future and lifetime risk, and take suitable remedial measures.
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Dr. Srinivasan is a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).