A healthy heart is the foundation of a happy life.
Every year, heart-related diseases claim 17.3 million lives across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by the year 2030, nearly 23.3 million people are expected to die every year from cardiovascular diseases or disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and heart failure are included in the list.
The risky habits that modernisation has brought in are to be blamed. Addiction to tobacco, alcohol, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle and food habits contribute widely to this occurrence. Risk of cardiovascular disease is high among people suffering from high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. However, the good news is that all these risk factors are preventable or curable.
To spread awareness, the world has been observing 29 September each year as World Heart Day since the last 13 years.
Some of the factors that increase the risk of heart-related diseases include old age, gender (men), and family history.
Following are some tips to have a healthy heart:
- Avoid overeating
- Quit smoking
- Eat more fibre rich foods, like whole grains
- Avoid foods that are high in trans fats and saturated fats
- Include more fresh vegetables and fruits into the diet
- Decrease sodium intake
- Engage in regular exercising
- Control and manage stress