healthy heartfor a long happy life

Healthy Heartfor a

long happy life

Dr. Hari SinghHHC Healthcare

INDIANS AT RISK HEART DISEASE EPIDEMIC

Sedentary life styles, Unhealthy diet, Stress, Diabetes, Narrower

arteries

2Healthy Heart for a long happy life

HAVE A HEALTH HEART

Healthy Heart for a long happy life

Quit smokingfor a healthy heart

• Smoking reduces life expectancy by 15-25 years

• Smokers twice at risk than Non-smokers• Risk reduces on quitting smoking


Lower the salt-intakefor a healthy heart

• Excess-salt -> high blood pressure -> Coronary heart disease


Balanced dietfor a healthy heart

Take• Fresh fruits• Vegetables• Whole grain bread• Brown rice• Regular meals

Avoid• Fats• Red meat• Deep fried food• White sugar• White bread• Over eating• Late night meals


Dietary fibrefor a healthy heart

• Oats, oat bran, oatmeal– A bowl (3 g.) per day– Lowers bad cholesterol

(LDL)

• Psyllium husk (Isabgol)– Lowers LDL, triglycerides,

apo-lipoprotein B, inflammation

• Soybean• Lowers bad cholesterol

(LDL)• Raises good cholesterol

(HDL)

• Green/black tea– 5 cups a day– Lowers cholesterol, blood

pressure– Inhibits blood-clotting

• Barley (jau)– Retards intestinal

fat/cholesterol absorption


Avoid alcohol for a healthy heart

• Excessive alcohol – -> heart muscle damage -> high blood

pressure– -> Weight gain

• Avoid alcohol– At least limit it to 30ml a day


Regular exercise for a healthy heart

How much• 30 minutes of moderate

exercise a day– Gradually increased to to

45 minutes of brisk walk/jogging

Benefits• Improves mental health• General well-being


Routine medical check-upfor a healthy heart

What to check?• Blood pressure• Blood sugar• Cholesterol• Body mass index

When to check?• 30 year+

– 6 monthly

• 50 year+

– 3 monthly

• Marginally elevated– monthly

• Elevated– As per Doctor’s advice


Healthy Weight, Healthy Shapefor a healthy heart

Manage waist• Apple-shaped (fat around

waist) more prone than the Pear-shaped (fat around hips)

Manage cholesterol• Cholesterol deposition

starts in childhood– Extra weight always

harmful– Small healthy dietary

changes beneficial


Apple shape Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape

• Fat stored around the middle– Abdomen– Belly– Chest– Surrounding internal

organs• Heart• lungs

• At risk of lifestyle related diseases– Diabetes– Heart disease– Stroke– High blood pressure– Impaired lung

function– Certain cancers– Gall bladder disease


Pear shapeHealthy Weight, Healthy Shape

• Fat stored below waist line– Hips– Thighs

• Less of heart risk than Apple shape

• Risk of weight related diseases– Arthritis


Waist-to-Hip RatioHealthy Weight, Healthy Shape

Measurement• Signifies fat distribution

in body– around waist and hip

• Divide circumferences of – Waist at its smallest part,

and– Hips at the widest part of

buttocks

Heart risk• Ideal ratio

– Women: 0.8 or less– Men: 0.95 or less

• Heart risk ratio– 0.76 - 0.83

• Pear shape ratio– < 0.72


Beat stressfor a healthy heart

Cumulative stress leads to• Irregular meals• Smoking• Drinking• Bad physical health• Bad mental health• Increased cardiac risk

Manage it by• Yoga/walking• Meditation• Recreation• Vacation


Check family historyfor a healthy heart

• Coronary heart disease in close relative(s) -> Higher heart risk

• Family members:– Smoker– Hypertensive– High cholesterol– Sedentary life style– Obese– Diabetic– Heart disease


Be aware of risk factorsfor a healthy heart

Uncontrollable factors• Heredity

– Coronary heart disease in close relative doubles the risk

• Age– Usually 60+

– 30 + also prone now

• Sex– Men + + +

– Women after menopause

Controllable factors• High blood sugar• High blood pressure• High cholesterol• Obesity• Smoking• Alcohol• Sedentary life style• Stress


Laughter, the best medicinefor a healthy heart

• Belly laughter– Relaxes– Lightens– Refreshes– Enlivens– Strengthens heart


Have a Healthy Heart!

© 2010 by HHC Healthcare

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of HHC Healthcare.

For more information/queries/feedback:

Write to us at: [email protected]

Visit us at:www.hhc.co.in

Healthy Heart for a long happy life

healthy heartfor a long happy life

Health & Medicine