'Smoking, Eating Junk Food, & More': Five Things A Cardiologist Won't Do

Video Producer/Editor: Garima Sadhwani

Heart diseases account for 28.1 percent of all deaths in India, according to a 2016 Indian Council of Medical Research report presented in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.

28,449 people died due to heart attacks in 2021 in the country, a National Crime Records Bureau report stated.

This is not encouraging. Especially since this number has only been increasing over the years. Between 2014-2019, deaths due to heart attack increased by 53 percent.

But... the good news is that there are certain things we can do to protect ourselves, to control damage. Here are five things that Dr Saritha Sekhar, Associate Professor and Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Kochi's Amrita Hospital, wouldn't do as a cardiologist.

Not Eat Junk Food

Having a balanced diet is essential for your cardiovascular health.

A 2015 report showed that the junk food industry in India is growing by 40 percent every year.

And it's no surprise that junk food can cause various health issues.

Not Lead A Sedentary Lifestyle

Exercise keeps us healthy and ensures good physical and mental health. It is especially good for the heart.

Not Take Undue Stress

Here are some things you can do to relieve or manage your stress:

• Hearing music

• Dancing

• Meditation

• Yoga

Not Smoke or Consume Alcohol

Smoking causes the development of plaques in the inner lining of our arteries and can pre-dispose us to heart attacks and strokes.

Excess alcohol consumption can cause an increase in our blood pressure. It can also directly affect the heart muscles and result in decreased pumping of blood in the heart.

Not Forgo My Annual Clinical Evaluation

As a routine, you should go for an annual health evaluation. Get these checked:

• Blood pressure

• Blood sugar

• Blood cholesterol

Also get an electrocardiogram (ECG) done. Through these tests, one can realise what risk factor they're most exposed to and take preventive measures.