How can I lower my risk of heart attack?

What makes heart disease scary is the fact that the disease rarely betrays a symptom until it is too late. Hence, we see a healthy man dying of heart attack. Hardly, we know that he had a time bomb ticking inside. “The ethnic Indian male stands to be at the highest risk of Coronary Artery Disease anywhere in the world, and the most vulnerable age group is between 45 -55 years”, informs Dr. Anil Dhall, senior consultant cardiology Max Heart and Vascular Institute, Gurgaon.

Hence, it pays to know 3 top most risk factors and control them to lower your risk for heart attack.

1. Diabetes—a metabolic disorder increases your vulnerability to heart diseases by 2 to 4 times. But, if you’ve diabetes do not despair, because there is a lot you can do to manage diabetes. “Effective diabetes-management requires a healthy regular lifestyle which should include a regular balanced diet, regular exercise and sensible weight control. Improved control of cholesterol and lipids (for example, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) can reduce cardiovascular complications by 20 to 50 percent,” says Dr Upendra Kaul, Executive Director of Escorts Heart Institute.

Traditionally, jamun or black berry has been considered as an antidote for sugar. It helps control blood sugar levels and manages diabetes. But, the only hitch is that this seasonal fruit isn’t available all year round. However, with Guardian Jamun Juice your worries are put to rest.

2. Cigarette smoke

Inhaling tobacco smoke causes several immediate responses within the heart and its blood vessels. Within one minute of starting to smoke, the heart rate begins to rise. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke exerts a negative effect on the heart by reducing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.

Quit smoking to save your heart. However, this task is not that simple. In your journey to quit tobacco you can explore acupuncture, nicotine gums and herbal cigarettes as aids to reach your goal.

At select Guardian stores you will find Honeyrose herbal cigarettes that deliver the tactile pleasure of smoking minus nicotine.

3. Cholesterol—

Cholesterol is a soft, white, fat like substance that is made in our liver and found in body cells. Though cholesterol is touted the devil for the rise in incidences of heart diseases, it doesn’t work alone. When smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes couple with high cholesterol they form a deadly cocktail, which brews the recipe for heart attacks.

You can lower cholesterol by having more of fruits and vegetables and cooking with little oil. Exercise helps in a big way too. Ayurveda recommends Noni juice to counter premature onset of cholesterol disorders.

4. Stress

The kind of person you are—relaxed or worried will have ramifications on the way your heart beats. No doubts, we can’t dispense stress but staying stressed all the time is like boiling inside. Just like you have learned to flare up under stress, there are ways to unlearn your responses. Massage is a good way to earn relief from stress. Hire a personal masseur or invest in a hand-held body massager.

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