By B Jayakishore
It is really alarming. Our lifestyle in cities like Bangalore has changed drastically. Though you find yourself fit, unknowingly you are in the verge of falling prey to one or the other ailment.
Days are passing in such a furious pace that we never know how our body systems handle it! However, now we have already accepted living with ailments like diabetes, Blood pressure, Asthma, Hypertension etc. In fact, all these have become our companions! Now it is the turn heart ailments.
Recently, when I had a chance to chat with Dr.C.N.Manjunath, Director, Jayadeva heart centre, Bangalore, he revealed another shocking phenomenon. Incidentally, it is total U-Shift from the way in which our elder generation was lived.
'If we go back to early 70's or 80's, there was a time when younger generation would bring their elders or parents to hospitals for heart treatment. But today the situation has been reversed. Now elders bring their young children of the age 25plus to hospitals' said Dr.C.N.Manjunath.
Shockingly, nowadays not only elders of above 50 are vulnerable to heart diseases, but also younger generation of the age group 20to 40 are vulnerable!
Reason: Stress, Work pressure, drastic change in lifestyle. Appalling revelation is that out of total heart related cases reported every year in India, 45 percent of which are of the people aged below 40!
Interestingly, Jayadeva heart centre alone admits about 200plus heart patients each month. It is very disturbing to note that out of these around 60to 70 patients are below 40! Till 1980 these were only 5to10. But in recent years this has been raised to 40 percent!
According to WHO study, Asians are more vulnerable to heart ailments as there are some genetic factors attached to it. Even Dr.Manjunath agrees with this. 'Indians are genetically different than people in the other continents. Add to this, influence of western lifestyle, food culture are also reason for such a transition' he says.
Let's have a look at the statistics. Currently around 30,000 to 40,000 heart disease cases were reported in Bangalore alone. A many as 75,000 Angioplasty cases were reported every year in the country, while it is around 4500 in Bangalore.
Bangalore is growing very fast. Growth has its darker side too. Today Inflow of people in search of 'Living' also has been increased many fold. This has resulted in spurt of slums. Because the people of these areas do not keep their surroundings clean and most of the time about 10-15 people living in a tiny hut like structure has resulted in increase in the cases of Rheumatic vascular diseases. When a person gets affected by this, his blood purification system and valves which control the blood flow will get damaged.
There has been remarkable transition in lifestyle in urban India in recent years. Upper class people are under more profession related stress than it was five years ago. In addition to this, lack of exercise, bad habits, uncontrolled junk food intake have also contributed for the increase in the cases of heart ailments in younger generation.
Interestingly, there was a time when we were all under the impression that heart ailment was a 'Rich man's disease'. ‘But gone are the days when only lazy and rich gets heart ailments. Now the same reasons are applicable to middle class and lower sections of the society’ says Dr.Manjunath.
However, to keep you fit and away from heart ailments, Dr.Manjunath has some tips.
*Exercise Regularly.
*Control cholesterol content in your body.
*Keep a watch on eating habits of your children.
*If you are above 25, please undergo treadmill ECG test once in a year.
*If you are diabetic, BP patient then regular treadmill ECG test is a must.
So, know your heart before it 'Breaks' you. Keep it fit.
It is really alarming. Our lifestyle in cities like Bangalore has changed drastically. Though you find yourself fit, unknowingly you are in the verge of falling prey to one or the other ailment.
Days are passing in such a furious pace that we never know how our body systems handle it! However, now we have already accepted living with ailments like diabetes, Blood pressure, Asthma, Hypertension etc. In fact, all these have become our companions! Now it is the turn heart ailments.
Recently, when I had a chance to chat with Dr.C.N.Manjunath, Director, Jayadeva heart centre, Bangalore, he revealed another shocking phenomenon. Incidentally, it is total U-Shift from the way in which our elder generation was lived.
'If we go back to early 70's or 80's, there was a time when younger generation would bring their elders or parents to hospitals for heart treatment. But today the situation has been reversed. Now elders bring their young children of the age 25plus to hospitals' said Dr.C.N.Manjunath.
Shockingly, nowadays not only elders of above 50 are vulnerable to heart diseases, but also younger generation of the age group 20to 40 are vulnerable!
Reason: Stress, Work pressure, drastic change in lifestyle. Appalling revelation is that out of total heart related cases reported every year in India, 45 percent of which are of the people aged below 40!
Interestingly, Jayadeva heart centre alone admits about 200plus heart patients each month. It is very disturbing to note that out of these around 60to 70 patients are below 40! Till 1980 these were only 5to10. But in recent years this has been raised to 40 percent!
According to WHO study, Asians are more vulnerable to heart ailments as there are some genetic factors attached to it. Even Dr.Manjunath agrees with this. 'Indians are genetically different than people in the other continents. Add to this, influence of western lifestyle, food culture are also reason for such a transition' he says.
Let's have a look at the statistics. Currently around 30,000 to 40,000 heart disease cases were reported in Bangalore alone. A many as 75,000 Angioplasty cases were reported every year in the country, while it is around 4500 in Bangalore.
Bangalore is growing very fast. Growth has its darker side too. Today Inflow of people in search of 'Living' also has been increased many fold. This has resulted in spurt of slums. Because the people of these areas do not keep their surroundings clean and most of the time about 10-15 people living in a tiny hut like structure has resulted in increase in the cases of Rheumatic vascular diseases. When a person gets affected by this, his blood purification system and valves which control the blood flow will get damaged.
There has been remarkable transition in lifestyle in urban India in recent years. Upper class people are under more profession related stress than it was five years ago. In addition to this, lack of exercise, bad habits, uncontrolled junk food intake have also contributed for the increase in the cases of heart ailments in younger generation.
Interestingly, there was a time when we were all under the impression that heart ailment was a 'Rich man's disease'. ‘But gone are the days when only lazy and rich gets heart ailments. Now the same reasons are applicable to middle class and lower sections of the society’ says Dr.Manjunath.
However, to keep you fit and away from heart ailments, Dr.Manjunath has some tips.
*Exercise Regularly.
*Control cholesterol content in your body.
*Keep a watch on eating habits of your children.
*If you are above 25, please undergo treadmill ECG test once in a year.
*If you are diabetic, BP patient then regular treadmill ECG test is a must.
So, know your heart before it 'Breaks' you. Keep it fit.
2 comments:
Congrats. nice blog jayakishore. good effort. All the best.
radhika vitla.
Dear Radhika,
Thanks for your valuable words.
Jayakishore
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