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How to keep your heart healthy

Sunday, September 29 is World Heart Day.

Dr Amit Sinkar, consultant, cardiologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Pune, talks about warning signs to be watched out for, rules the young must follow for a healthy heart, common heart health mistakes and ways to control cholestrol.

What are the top warning signs that should prompt you to get your heart checked out?

• Chest pain
• Breath shortness
• Excessive sweating
• Undue fatigue
• Presence of risk factors like diabetes, high BP or family history

What heart health rules should everyone live by?

• Brisk walking
• Have more seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Focus on homemade food
• Quit smoking, tobacco and alcohol
• Manage your stress
• Learn stress relaxation technique

5 common heart health mistakes we make and advice/ tips to young Indians to reduce heart risk

We confuse symptoms of heart ailments with acidity. Females consider chest pain as a symptom of anemia. Avoid taking long gap between meals, lack of sleep and exercise can also trigger heart risk in young Indians.

Simple ways to keep BP under control

• Don't put extra salt in your food and regular exercise are the best ways to keep BP under control.
• Why is high cholesterol bad for your heart? 5 ways to control cholesterol
• High cholesterol leads to deposition of fat in blood vessels. These fat in blood vessels leads to the blockage of arteries in heart. To combat cholesterol one must:
• Take nutritious diet and do regular exercise
• Cut down on all oily food
• Ground nuts and dry nuts should be avoided. Almond and walnut are only recommended in case of high cholesterol levels
• Avoid yellow part of egg and red meat
• Aerobic exercises like brisk walking, jogging and cycling are the best ways to lower cholesterol
• If you are on medication, couple it with good diet and exercise