Attributes cause majorly to stress, offers simple tips
Announces ‘Run For Heart Health’ on World Heart Day on Sunday (29.09.2024) in Mohali
It’s called a heart attack, but it is not the heart which is attacking us, but we who are knowingly or unknowingly attacking the fist-sized muscle mass that is our heart. The statement carries weight especially coming from a well-known cardiac surgeon of the region, Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, acknowledged for being among the pioneers of open heart and beating heart surgeries in Punjab.
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He was highlighting preventive aspects of heart disease and heart attacks at a press meet in Chandigarh on Wednesday while announcing a ‘Run For Heart Health’ being organized by Park Grecian Hospital Mohali to mark World Heart Day on Sunday (Sept 29).
The theme for this year’s World Heart Day is ‘Use Heart for Action’, with emphasis on empowering individuals, and encouraging them to take responsibility for their heart health.
Dr Bedi, Director, Cardiac Sciences, at the hospital, pointed to the worrisome trend of young persons suddenly falling at workouts, workplaces, parties, dance floors, or just relaxing and documented as dying of heart attack. Some of the victims of death due to heart attack at a very young age in recent times have been showbiz personalities like actor, host and model Sidharth Shukla, who died at age 40, and even doctors, he informed.
Attributing these heart attack deaths significantly to stress, among other factors, Dr Bedi, who has earlier served at Escorts Heart Hospital, New Delhi; and St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia, while admitting that stress is inevitable in the fast-paced and highly competitive environment, emphasized that “we have to get into action mode to beat the stress”.
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Sharing the stark reality of our country, where four Indians die of heart attacks every minute, and quoting the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study to say that 25 percent of heart attack deaths in the country occur in people below 40 years of age, he however stuck an optimistic note saying 80% of these heart attacks are preventable. “We need to prioritise our heart health while going about our daily routines,” he asserted.
Advising simple ways of keeping the heart young and healthy, Dr Bedi laid stress on eating simple food, preferably home-made, with lots of green leafy and other vegetables of different colours. Twenty minutes of daily brisk walk provides enough exercise for the heart.
For stress-bursting too he had easy solutions like indulging in yoga and meditation, maintaining a good friendship circle, going for outings with family, colleagues and friends especially to quiet places like hills which also offer rarified air, and indulging in home gardening.
Artificial laughter also helps in stress management and so does dance, bhangra being the best, he shared further.
For high-risk persons, who have severely blocked heart arteries, and for heart attack survivors, Dr Bedi informed that minimally invasive endovascular surgery is a good option. Open heart surgery, especially after the development of beating heart surgery, has given consistently good results.
He claimed that Park Grecian Hospital provides the best facilities available for heart surgeries with one of the first Operation Theatre (OT) in the region with a Cath Lab within.
The ‘Run for Heart Health’
The ‘Run for Heart Health’ on Sunday will be flagged off from Park Grecian hospital in Sector 69 (Phase 9) at 5;30 a.m. and end at the hospital following a 5-km long route. A Zumba dance class will also be organized for the participants at the end of the run.
Every participant will be presented a goodie bag worth Rs 3500 by the hospital, including discount coupons, T-shirt, cap and participation certificate, apart from being served refreshments.
The chief guest, Major General Mathews Jacob, Commandant, Command Hospital Western Command, Chandimandir, will flag off the run along with Mohali Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain and Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek.
