Heart Health Tips:  Due to changing lifestyle, stress and bad eating habits, the number of heart patients is increasing. This is what Dr. Irfan Yakub, Head and Senior Consultant of Cardiology Department at Kailash Hospital, said. He said this while answering readers' questions in Hello Jagran on World Heart Day. He advised about the methods of prevention and treatment of heart related diseases. He said that if your daily routine is disturbed.

Do not sleep on time. Eat whatever pleases you. Even in meals, consume fast food, packed food and fried items in large quantities. If you are obese and lead an inactive life, then be alert. You can suffer from heart-related diseases because of this kind of lifestyle. A person must pay attention to his physical and mental health to remain healthy. It is said that consumption of tobacco is also causing heart pain at a young age. Consumption of cigarettes, beedis and gutkha, tobacco reduces the flow of blood in the heart and increases the risk of heart attack.

Take these symptoms seriously

Severe pain in the chest, sweating without any reason, feeling uneasy, pain in the jaw, neck and back, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, dizziness, gradual decrease in pulse, inability to think or understand anything mentally.

Pay attention to this

• Keep your lower BP below 80. If the blood pressure is high then there is a great danger to the heart.
• Keep fasting sugar below 100. Diabetes and heart disease are linked.
• Keep cholesterol level at 200 or less. Bad cholesterol should also be less than 130.
• For those who have heart disease, it is better if their cholesterol level is less than 80.
• Make sure to walk and exercise for at least 30-45 minutes every day.

Identify the Risks

According to Dr. Irfan Yakub, heart problems can happen to anyone of any age. Therefore, everyone should take preventive measures from an early age. He says that everyone should know about their risk factors and keep making continuous efforts to reduce the risk.

• Age: Age is a major risk factor for heart disease. Heart problems are most commonly reported in men over 45 years of age and women after menopause. In such a situation, you should become alert as your age increases.
• High blood pressure: Increased blood pressure is considered a major factor in heart diseases. A reading above 140/90 is considered high blood pressure. High blood pressure significantly increases the pressure on the arteries and heart, which can also increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. People who often have high blood pressure have a higher risk of heart diseases.
• Cholesterol: High cholesterol is also considered to be the cause of heart diseases. Due to high cholesterol in the blood, fatty substances start increasing in the arteries. Due to which blood circulation gets affected. People who often have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood lipid profile test may have a very high risk of heart diseases in the future.
• Diabetes: High blood sugar levels increase the risk of diabetes, a condition that is also considered a factor in heart disease. Diabetics have twice the risk of coronary artery disease. Most people with type 2 diabetes can suffer from it. People suffering from diabetes need to keep efforts to prevent heart disease along with blood sugar.
• Physical inactivity: Regular exercise is essential to keep the heart healthy. If you do not exercise and are not physically active, then it can increase your chances of suffering from heart diseases in the future. Lack of exercise further increases the problems of heart disease like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol.

A good diet will reduce the risk of heart disease

The reason for the increase in heart diseases is bad eating habits and bad lifestyle. Dr. Irfan Yakub says that along with the lack of physical activity, increase in stress and depression among people, bad eating habits have also increased. There are many of our daily habits which are very harmful for the heart.

Bad eating habits cause many serious diseases. These include heart disease. In such a situation, special attention needs to be paid to diet. A good diet is the most effective weapon to fight heart diseases. A balanced diet can help you avoid problems like cholesterol, high blood pressure and increasing weight. In such a situation, make your plate full of nutrients.

Saturated and Trans Fats

Saturated and trans fats also play a major role in increasing the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, which increases the risk of heart disease. This is why doctors recommend limiting the intake of red meat, full-fat dairy products and foods made from hydrogenated oils. Instead, you can choose options containing monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as walnuts, almonds, olive oil and avocado.

Excess salt

Consuming too much salt causes high blood pressure, which is a major cause of heart disease. Ultra-processed foods contain high amounts of salt. In such a situation, try to include fresh fruits in your diet and you can also use some herbs and spices as an alternative to reduce the amount of salt in the diet.

High Protein Diet

Protein is very important for your body, but its excess amount invites kidney problems, which can increase the risk of heart disease. In such a situation, consume meat, fish, poultry and dairy products in limited quantities. Instead, you can choose plant-based protein options, such as lentils, beans, and tofu etc.

Too much sugar

Excessive sugar intake leads to weight gain as well as type 2 diabetes, which is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Soda, candy, pastries and other sweet items may seem delicious, but they should be consumed in limited quantities and instead, try to eat fiber-rich fresh fruits to satiate your sweet cravings.

Get enough sleep and stay away from stress

If you feel tired and drowsy in the morning even after a full night's sleep, it means that your sleep is disrupted. Do not forget that the quality of your sleep is affecting your mood, memory, etc. along with your eating habits. Lack of good sleep constantly puts you at the brink of heart disease. At the same time, the number of patients who come to the doctor and complain of increasing stress is constantly increasing. Stress provokes smoking, promotes overeating and physical inactivity. Chronic stress can be a major cause of high blood pressure and all these are open invitations to heart disease and heart attack.

For heart health, get yourself checked at the age of 35

Nowadays people do not even have time for themselves in this busy life. On one hand, women ignore their health due to household and family responsibilities, while on the other hand, men also become careless about their health due to work pressure and other responsibilities. According to Dr. Irfan, regular health checkups are necessary to identify health problems early. Especially people above 40 years of age must get their health checkups done. He said that keep an eye on blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar. Do not ignore the pre-symptoms related to heart attack and cardiac arrest. After the age of 35, get general tests like lipid profile, ECG, TMT etc. done.

Don’t skip breakfast

If you often have a habit of skipping breakfast, then this also spoils your blood sugar and increases the risk of heart diseases. A healthy breakfast not only helps to keep you energetic throughout the day but also prevents you from overeating during the day.

Intermittent fasting can harm the heart

Nowadays people adopt different methods to reduce fat and stay fit, the most popular method is intermittent fasting. But, this kind of experimentation in food can also be risky for heart health. According to Dr. Irfan, the trend of intermittent fasting has started to appear in the last few years. In simple words, in this food is eaten for a few hours and after that one remains without eating or drinking anything for several hours. Usually, the time is divided into eight and 16 hours i.e. eating during eight hours, complete fasting for the remaining 16 hours. The body needs continuous energy. Staying hungry for 15-16 hours increases the pressure on the body. Therefore, the practice of taking nutritious food at regular intervals is more beneficial. What we eat is more important than when and how many times we eat. Now if we are eating more fatty food and smoking, drinking alcohol during eight hours, then it will prove to be dangerous for the body.

Steroid use can be dangerous

Nowadays, the youth are adopting shortcuts to increase muscles rapidly and get an attractive body. The most common method is the use of steroids. Dr. Irfan said that the trend of taking steroids has increased among the youth to look healthy. This can be fatal for their health, especially the heart. Exercising indiscriminately in the gym is also harmful for them. Even normal people should exercise only after medical advice to avoid heart diseases.

You can also save someone's life by giving CPR

Even common people can save lives by giving CPR during cardiac arrest. Dr. Irfan said that in CPR, the chest has to be pumped 30 times with both hands to a depth of two inches. Its speed should be 12100 times in a minute. He said that one hour is the golden hour, try to take the patient to the hospital during this time.