From sedentary lifestyle to bad genes: Drivers of heart disease

New Delhi, July 8 A mismatch between food, habits and exercise is behind the rising heart diseases in India, said top cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director, Medanta Hospital.

According to the Global Burden of Disease, nearly a quarter (24.8 per cent) of all deaths in India are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

India also has a high burden of CVD deaths and the World Health Organization stated that they accounts for 27 per cent of the total deaths in the country every year and 45 per cent of deaths in the 40-69 year age group.

Recent media reports showed many young celebrities, artistes, athletes, sportspersons -- who usually remain fit and have no history of CVD -- face heart attacks, while some also succumbed to it.

Speaking to IANS, Dr Trehan said genes, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, are driving the rise in cardiovascular disease, particularly among the young.

While the primary reason is that the Indian genetic make-up has a higher propensity for coronary heart disease, a diet which is rich in fatty and fried foods and a sedentary lifestyle, are also making Indians more liable to develop heart disease, he said.

"Young people in India, in comparison to their western counterparts, are more prone to getting heart attacks and heart diseases. Normally, heart attacks and heart diseases develop in the fifth decade of life. In India, we have started seeing in the third and fourth decade. This means, people between the age of 25-30 are also getting heart diseases.

"We do not incorporate exercise in our daily life. Very few people do measured exercise. So, there is a mismatch between food, habits and exercise and because of the new technology and mechanisation, we do very less physical labour," Dr Trehan said, adding that chewing and smoking tobacco also plays a major role as “it causes constriction of the arteries”.

In addition, environmental stress has also become very prevalent, the top cardiologist said.

"Everybody suffers on account of pollution, not only air pollution but also noise pollution and aggressive behaviour on the streets -- which further aggravate people and can cause blood pressure to go up."

He also blamed the rise on the Covid virus, which affected the arteries throughout the body, causing inflammation of the arterial walls.

"So, if you had a severe case of Covid-19, it can create enough inflammation in the arteries for the blood to clot there and give a heart attack," Dr Trehan told IANS.

Also, "the virus attacks the muscles, making them weak. So, there were people who died from heart failure because of the muscle getting affected by the virus. It is called cardiomyopathy. So, Covid, especially the Delta strain, was responsible for many deaths.

"We had several hundred patients at Medanta, and we found that in the severe cases, 20 per cent of them had inflammation of the heart," the doctor said.

For people affected with severe Covid, he advised "echocardiography or MRI to check for inflammation in the heart" and not to "do excessive exercise".

"First, get tested and then the doctors can recommend to you how much exercise you can do and in what sequence".

Diabetes is also another major reason, said the heart specialist.

"India is also the diabetic capital of the world, and this means the burden of heart disease is immense. So, diabetes accelerates heart disease and also affects heart muscles," he told IANS.

Dr Trehan said people with diabetes and heart disease running genetically in the family must get tested before or at the age of 25, as the chances of high blood sugar and coronary heart diseases are double then. And if not then get a full body checkup by the age of 30 for the risk factors.

"So, today our communication to the public is 'know your genes'.

His message to maintain good heart health is to maintain proper exercise, ideal weight and eat a balanced diet.

"Exercise at least 5 times a week for 40-45 minutes. Even a brisk walk for 40-45 minutes is good enough. Keep a balanced diet, not too much oil. Watch your weight. Do not exceed your ideal body weight. If you stay within 10 per cent of the recommended weight, your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer become much less," Dr Trehan said.

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