‘This World Heart Day, Let’s Pledge to Healthy Lifestyle’- Dr Yusuf Kumble
Mangaluru: Eighteen years of the ‘World Heart Day’ and continues awareness to keep it healthy and pumping. But have we really understood the criticality of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and stroke prevention? The WHO has estimated that, with a current burden of CVD, India would lose 237$ billion from the loss of productivity and spending on health care over 10 year period (2005 – 2015). Nearly a quarter (24.8%) of all deaths in India are attributable to CVD as it is leading cause of death in all parts of India including poorer states and rural areas.
Dr. Yusuf A Kumble – Chief interventional Cardiologist & Managing Director of Indiana Hospital & Heart Institute Ltd, Mangaluru interacting with the media persons during a briefing on “World Heart Day”, which is on 29 September at Hotel Maya International-Mangaluru said, ““Heart health is very critical and one should go through the proper heart check-ups, and follow other control measures all through the life. Our healthy habits are key to the healthy heart. Lifestyle change is a need of the hour.It is important to note that heart attacks and strokes CAN be avoided. 80% of them are preventable by avoiding tobacco use, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and regularly checking blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids.”
“There are many types of heart disease, including hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease (heart attack), and cerebrovascular disease (stroke). Heart attacks occur when oxygen-rich blood is blocked and can’t flow to the heart. The section of the heart devoid of oxygen begins to die if the flow isn’t restored in a sufficient amount of time. High level of bad cholesterol, increased glucose level, smoking habit, inadequate intake of diet, fruit, and vegetables, increased weight, and obesity can lead to heart attack or stroke. Heart attacks have several major warning signs and symptoms – chest pain or discomfort, upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach, shortness of breath and nausea or cold sweats” added Dr Kumble.
Dr Kumble further said, “Genes is also the culprit and pass on the risk of cardiovascular disease, and they can also be responsible for passing on other conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about your family history. Having a family history of cardiovascular disease is sometimes called a ‘non-modifiable’ risk factor – this means it’s a risk factor that you can’t change. With few moderation in lifestyle and behaviour one can achieve a healthy heart and reduce the risk of CVD. A person with both a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) and a second-degree relative (uncle or grandparent) who suffer from heart disease before the age of 60 is nearly 10 times more likely to suffer from heart disease early in life. Also, this disease effect man and women equal.” Dr Yusuf Kumble further stressed that whenever you come across a patient having a heart attack, you should not waste time-instead rush the person to the nearest hospital, contact the doctor so that he is treated quickly. This way there are chances of the person surviving who had a heart attack – but if delayed the person may die within no time.”
While concluding, Dr Kumble said, “Your heart powers your whole body. It let’s you love, laugh and live your life to the full. That’s why it’s so important to look after it. If you don’t, you’re putting yourself at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart disease and stroke. CVD is the world’s number one killer. Each year, it’s responsible for 17.5 million deaths, and by 2030 this is expected to rise to 23 million. But the good news is that much CVD can be prevented by making just a few simple daily changes, like eating and drinking more healthily, getting more exercise and stopping smoking. This World Heart Day, we’re asking you to share how you power your heart and inspire other people around you to be heart healthy. So let’s make sure we all take action to keep our hearts charged and make a lasting difference to our health. “
The welcome address and Vote of thanks was delivered by Bhasker Aras- the media coordinator for Indiana Hospital. The programme was organized in association with Cipla Limited which is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, headquartered in Mumbai, and primarily develops medicines to treat cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, weight control and depression; other medical conditions.
While I end this report, as my perspective, ” We’re in a situation now where weight and extreme weight and heart disease is the biggest killer in the world today. The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart. A controlled carbohydrate lifestyle really prevents risk factors for heart disease. Think about it: Heart disease and diabetes, which account for more deaths in the U.S. and worldwide than everything else combined, are completely preventable by making comprehensive lifestyle changes. Without drugs or surgery. The medical literature tells us that the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and many more problems are through healthy diet and exercise. Our bodies have evolved to move, yet we now use the energy in oil instead of muscles to do our work. When you have heart disease, you start to be tired of everything. It’s like getting older. You become more white, and after that, grey. You have no feeling for anything. A controlled carbohydrate lifestyle really prevents risk factors for heart disease. Awareness about heart disease has got to be raised. Fuel your heart. Move your heart. Love your heart. And share the power.!”
WORLD HEART DAY HISTORY :
World Heart Day was celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September month from the year it was established till 2010. It is an effective event established in 2000 and organized every year by the World Heart Federation since 2000. From the year 2011, it was started celebrating annually on 29th of September. World Heart Federation and its members actively involves in the celebration in order to spread the news about premature deaths from heart diseases and its risk factors (tobacco intake, lack of physical exercise, unhealthy diet and alcohol intake) to the common public. There are many collaborators of the World Heart Federation in this campaign including several major international non-profits (Indian Heart Association). Through this campaign, several effective preventative measures are promoted in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A huge percentage of the common public in the society is suffering from the heart diseases like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, etc. Heart problems are the leading causes of death in the world. The heart-related problems and deaths can be solved by the active involvement of the common public through the campaign of world heart day. Various governmental and private organizations including NGOs all around the world are working to spread the awareness of CVD (cardiovascular disease-the world’s number one killer).
World Heart Federation (WHF), a nongovernmental organization, is based in the Geneva, Switzerland. An International Society of Cardiology was founded in 1946 and International Cardiology Federation in 1970. Both organizations were merged to form the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC) in 1978. Later the name of International Society and Federation of Cardiology was changed to the World Heart Federation in 1998. The World Heart Federation motivates the health care professionals, medical societies, policymakers, patients, organizations and other healthy individuals to come forth and participate actively in the campaign to reduce the fear of heart disease and stroke as well as ensuring people for longer and better lives.
World Heart Day is an effective way established by the world heart federation to aware people around the globe that heart ailments are the leading cause of death. World Heart Federation, in collaboration with the WHO, spreads the important news about heart diseases and main risk factors to the public worldwide. It motivates people to get participated and take some knowledge, go through the proper heart check-ups, and follow other control measures all through the life. It is a perfect day when many people do promises to themselves to quit smoking, get involved in daily physical activities, start eating a healthy diet, etc in order to keep their heart in good working order.
It is a day when people realize about overeating, unhealthy diets, lack of exercises, bad lifestyle, etc causing heart ailments. It brings some hope to people that heart problems can be prevented and controlled for whole life by following healthy lifestyle. The main aim of world heart day is to improve global heart health by encouraging people for lifestyle changes and gain knowledge about ways to be good to the heart.
