Lifestyle and heart health

Lifestyle and heart health

മലയാളം പതിപ്പ്

It is now well known that a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in promoting heart health. Unhealthy lifestyle can lead on to various disorders which are popularly known as lifestyle diseases. Important lifestyle related health risks relevant to heart health are obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. These in turn can lead to increased risk for heart disease and stroke. There are also other lifestyle related health risks like higher chance of certain types of cancers.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of obesity, high blood pressure, high blood fat and sugar levels. There is excessive body fat deposition around the waist. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Blood fat abnormality in metabolic syndrome is typically low HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. HDL or high density lipoprotein cholesterol is the so called ‘good cholesterol’, which protects against heart and blood vessel disease.

Physical inactivity or reduced physical activity and smoking are two other important factors leading to lifestyle diseases. Physical inactivity increases the risk of heart disease as well as the chance for obesity and metabolic syndrome. Both active smoking and second hand smoking or inhaling smoke given out by a smoker are known to increase risk for heart and blood vessel disease. Passive smoking affects the family members of smokers. Smoking increases the risk of cancer in addition to the risk of heart attack.

Heart healthy food is another important lifestyle modification to prevent lifestyle disorders. Including more of fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and fish are useful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dietary fiber is another important health aspect, which comes naturally with healthy food. High intake of saturated fats and fried food are better avoided. Fried food contains more of trans fatty acids. Moderation in alcohol intake and if possible totally avoiding alcohol are useful for the health of heart and liver. Reducing the intake of sugar sweetened beverages are also useful. Sugar sweetened beverages increase the caloric intake, but do not produce satiety, unlike other foods.

Increasing physical activity is a very simple lifestyle intervention which can go a long way in reducing the risk of lifestyle disorders. We can try to increase physical activity during our routine work so as to avoid too much of sitting. In fact, sitting for a long time is also now considered to be a risk factor for heart and blood vessel disease. Several organizations have started providing options for standing desks to avoid sitting for a long period. Some large organizations keep parking places a bit away from the office to mandate regular walking to and from work as well. Avoiding lifts and using stairs is another simple option.

Standard recommendation for physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. This can  translate to 30 minutes of physical activity for at least 5 days a week. If you are unable to attain these levels, even lower levels of activity are known to confer some benefit. High intensity interval training is another option for busy persons who cannot find enough time for usual endurance type of physical activity. But this may not be tolerated by all, especially those with joint problems.

Stress is another important aspect of lifestyle which needs modification. Reducing stress is easily said than done! Stress is part and parcel of modern life. It is known that a little bit of stress increases our performance and has been called eustress or positive stress, which increases motivation. But high stress levels increase heart and blood pressure with deleterious effects on the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to lifestyle diseases in the long run. Meditation, yoga and other relaxation techniques have been shown to reduce stress. Yet, very often, reducing stress may mean cutting down on your ambitions and taking life the way it comes.