World Heart Day Use heart to connect

Dr Kshetrimayum Kala Singh
“Cardiovascular Disease is Public Health enemy number one”
“Each year 18.6 millions people die of cardiovascular disease in the developing world”
This year the World Heart Day is observed on 29th September, 2021 all over the world. The theme for 2021 is “Use Heart to Connect”. The healthcare crisis we’ve all been living through has highlighted an urgent need to find different and innovative ways to connect people to heart health, particularly in lower resource areas and communities.
Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally is our goal for World Heart Day 2021. Telehealth has a huge role to play as we continue to Use Heart to Beat CVD.
USE HEART TO CONNECT is about using your knowledge, compassion and influence to make sure you, your loved ones and the communities you’re part of have the best chance to live heart –healthy lives. It’s about connecting with our own hearts, making sure we’re fuelling and nurturing them as best we can, and using the power of digital to connect every heart, everywhere.
As the world struggles to fight COVID-19, we’ve never been more aware of the importance of our and our loved one’s health.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that affect the heart or Blood Vessels and deaths a year. It has many causes: from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, to air pollution and less common conditions such as Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis.
For the 520 million people living with CVD, COVID-19 has been heartbreaking. They have been more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus. And many have been afraid to attend routine and emergency appointments, and have become isolated from friends and family.
Many Government and Non- Government organizations celebrate world heart day in different forms like.
· Health Checks
· Sports events, including Walks, runs and fitness sessions.
· Public talks and Sciences forms.
· Stage shows and concerts.
· Exhibitions.
India is faced with 3 important causes of heart disease
1. Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) which presently has disappeared in western countries but it is still rampant among children here.
2. High blood pressure and
3. Ishaemic Heart Disease (Heart Attacks and Stroke). The last is assuming frightening proportions all over India.
In India, every year 2 million people die from heart disease. Also out of the 100 patients admitted in the Hospital there are 10-15 patients suffering from heart disease.
So, it is high time for us to give message and awareness to the public for the prevention of Heart Disease particularly Rheumatic Heart Disease, Hypertension and Ischaemic Heart Disease and Cardiomyopathy.
The following precautions be taken by us for the prevention of Heart Disease.
1. Diet : A good diet, containing unsaturated fats, low sugar and high protein should be taken. With plenty of fruits.
2. Smoking : To be completely avoided. It is injurious to heart and lungs. Different types of cancers may arise in our body after smoking.
3. Hypertension: It is a silent killer. We should maintain our BP 120/80 mmhg. Taking excess of salt, fatty diets, stress and strain to be avoided.
4. Dylipedemia : High level of Cholesterol and Triglyceride may cause Heart attack early in life. Excess in taking fresh meat, fish and saturated oils to be avoided.
5. Diabetes : High level of sugar in Blood will cause Heart attack, Retinophy, Nephropathy and Neuropathy. So , sugar to be avoided if the Blood sugar is high. People living with diabetes are twice as likely to develop and die from cardiovascular disease.
6. Alcohol: Excess use of alcohol will cause Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Cirrhosis. So, it should be avoided in our life.
7. Abdominal Obesity : The more obesity of the abdomen will cause Metabolic syndrome. So, control of diet containing for saturated fats to be done.
8. Stress & Strain : The more stress & strain in our life, the more risk for Heart Disease. So, it should be controlled or avoided.
9. Sedentary life style : Precaution should be taken, Regular exercise and control of diet to be done.
“IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY AND NEVER TOO LATE TO START TAKING CARE OF YOUR HEART”
LOVE YOUR HEART, HEART IS YOUR LIFE
The writer is president Manipur Heart Care Society, Imphal