Your heart keeps you going, but are you unknowingly putting it at risk with your eating habits? Skipping breakfast might seem harmless, but experts warn that it could silently damage your heart. Missing your morning meal can affect blood sugar levels, increase cholesterol level and spike stress levels and disrupt metabolic rhythms, affecting your heart health. Certain lifestyle habits, stress and even health factors could be the culprits triggering a risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Accounting for a total of 27% of all deaths in the country, CVDs remain a leading health concern. (1) Pertaining to a surge in cases among young adults and unexpected triggers leading to a spike in mortality, cardiovascular diseases have turned into a silent epidemic. This alarming trend isn’t just a health crisis, it's an ill omen affecting the overall Human Development Index of a country. But here’s the good news experts say with cutting-edge technological advancements and certain lifestyle changes we can fight back.
The Times of India spoke to multiple specialists to gain insights into the current state of CVDs in India, its causes and potential ways to reverse the trend.
Unveiling the silent epidemic: The causes of concern
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) is an umbrella term for various conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, is affecting across demographics in India today. Whether it’s coronary artery disease (CAD), Hypertension (High blood pressure), Arrythmias (irregular heartbeats) Heart Failure, and stroke, they all are catalyzed due to lifestyle and health issues. Whether it is a simple act of forgoing breakfast or following self-approved diets for weight loss, food habits and lifestyle are major denominators of your heart health. These habits and practices aren’t just minute disruptions to our routine, they are major disruptors of our heart health.
Dr. Tirthankar Roy, Assistant professor in the department of Cardiology, SMCH says, “In the hustle bustle of modern life healthy eating habits takes a back seat. Having good dietary habits and regular exercise is the key to a healthy heart. Breakfast should be the best meal in our 24-hour workday.”
Furthermore, Dr. Sajan Narayanan, Consultant Cardiology, Little Flower Hospital believes, “Genetics do play a role in cardiovascular health, but the bigger concern today is our changing food habits. The rise in processed foods, excessive sugar, and unhealthy fats is significantly increasing the risk of CVD. While we can’t change our genes, we can certainly make better lifestyle choices to protect our hearts”
As per Dr. Rishi Gupta, Chairman- Cardiac Sciences, Accord Superspeciality Hospital “Apart from poor lifestyle choices, pollution and adulteration in food is also a major contributor to a surge in heart diseases today.”
Dr. Subash Chandra, Chairman - Interventional Cardiology - Cardiology & Structural Heart Disease, adds that, “The risk of CVDs emanates from Dyslipidemia (abnormal level of lipids in blood), metabolic syndrome, and obesity.” Obesity, being a consequence of poor dietary habits, is a public health crisis. People with obesity are prone to traditional risk factors of CVD like dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This, in a way proves the consequential relationship between lifestyle choices and CVDs.
Experts warn that discomfort in chest, excessive sweating and breathing issues are a few symptoms we should keep in check for heart diseases or related ailments. Consulting a physician or cardiologist for cardiac screenings early on is becoming a necessity when it comes to these potential symptoms for heart diseases. The lifestyle choices that we make are part of our life and are often overlooked, leading to serious ailments like CVDs. However, it’s important that prediction and prevention should be our top priority when it comes to cardiac care. Keeping in view the massive role of lifestyle choices for the prevalence of heart diseases, it is worth noting that prevention should be the first and foremost step in our checklist of keeping away from heart diseases. This line of action should start with keeping a tab on subtle symptoms and should be followed by a healthy lifestyle approach based on care and consistency. However, according to experts, technological advancements come as a revolutionary remedy in cardiac care today for patients too.
Minimally invasive procedures: The game changer of cardiac care
India, home to over a billion people, is witnessing a surge in heart diseases. Minimally invasive procedures are emerging as a more comprehensive and efficient solution in today’s cardiac care landscape. Better healthcare drives overall human development, making quality cardiac care a necessity. Here’s why minimally invasive procedures have an edge over traditional surgery:
Adding to it Dr. Rishi Gupta, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Accord Superspeciality Hospital says, “Patients can be discharged the next day and can fully continue normal functions within a week through these procedures.”
The Times of India spoke to multiple specialists to gain insights into the current state of CVDs in India, its causes and potential ways to reverse the trend.
Unveiling the silent epidemic: The causes of concern
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) is an umbrella term for various conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, is affecting across demographics in India today. Whether it’s coronary artery disease (CAD), Hypertension (High blood pressure), Arrythmias (irregular heartbeats) Heart Failure, and stroke, they all are catalyzed due to lifestyle and health issues. Whether it is a simple act of forgoing breakfast or following self-approved diets for weight loss, food habits and lifestyle are major denominators of your heart health. These habits and practices aren’t just minute disruptions to our routine, they are major disruptors of our heart health.
Dr. Tirthankar Roy, Assistant professor in the department of Cardiology, SMCH says, “In the hustle bustle of modern life healthy eating habits takes a back seat. Having good dietary habits and regular exercise is the key to a healthy heart. Breakfast should be the best meal in our 24-hour workday.”
Furthermore, Dr. Sajan Narayanan, Consultant Cardiology, Little Flower Hospital believes, “Genetics do play a role in cardiovascular health, but the bigger concern today is our changing food habits. The rise in processed foods, excessive sugar, and unhealthy fats is significantly increasing the risk of CVD. While we can’t change our genes, we can certainly make better lifestyle choices to protect our hearts”
As per Dr. Rishi Gupta, Chairman- Cardiac Sciences, Accord Superspeciality Hospital “Apart from poor lifestyle choices, pollution and adulteration in food is also a major contributor to a surge in heart diseases today.”
Dr. Subash Chandra, Chairman - Interventional Cardiology - Cardiology & Structural Heart Disease, adds that, “The risk of CVDs emanates from Dyslipidemia (abnormal level of lipids in blood), metabolic syndrome, and obesity.” Obesity, being a consequence of poor dietary habits, is a public health crisis. People with obesity are prone to traditional risk factors of CVD like dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This, in a way proves the consequential relationship between lifestyle choices and CVDs.
Experts warn that discomfort in chest, excessive sweating and breathing issues are a few symptoms we should keep in check for heart diseases or related ailments. Consulting a physician or cardiologist for cardiac screenings early on is becoming a necessity when it comes to these potential symptoms for heart diseases. The lifestyle choices that we make are part of our life and are often overlooked, leading to serious ailments like CVDs. However, it’s important that prediction and prevention should be our top priority when it comes to cardiac care. Keeping in view the massive role of lifestyle choices for the prevalence of heart diseases, it is worth noting that prevention should be the first and foremost step in our checklist of keeping away from heart diseases. This line of action should start with keeping a tab on subtle symptoms and should be followed by a healthy lifestyle approach based on care and consistency. However, according to experts, technological advancements come as a revolutionary remedy in cardiac care today for patients too.
Minimally invasive procedures: The game changer of cardiac care
India, home to over a billion people, is witnessing a surge in heart diseases. Minimally invasive procedures are emerging as a more comprehensive and efficient solution in today’s cardiac care landscape. Better healthcare drives overall human development, making quality cardiac care a necessity. Here’s why minimally invasive procedures have an edge over traditional surgery:
- Minimal incision: Unlike traditional heart surgery, minimally invasive procedures operate through smaller incisions, leading to reduced tissue damage and trauma.
- Rapid recovery: Patients normally recover in days through these procedures and can continue with their daily activities within a week.
- Reduced risk of further complications: Minimally invasive procedures lead to less blood loss, reduced post-surgery complications and reduce the risk of infections.
- Suitability for a varied demography: Elderly population and those patients who might not be the right candidates for open heart surgery can look for this approach.
Adding to it Dr. Rishi Gupta, Chairman - Cardiac Sciences, Accord Superspeciality Hospital says, “Patients can be discharged the next day and can fully continue normal functions within a week through these procedures.”
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