World Heart Day is observed on September 29 to bring awareness among people about cardiovascular diseases, which are one of the biggest causes of death worldwide. This day is part of an international campaign to inform and spread awareness about heart disease and stroke prevention. Many specialists have been answering the questions of the callers and have been giving tips in the previous weeks.

Dr. Premkumar tells us the difference between heart attack and heart failure. He warns that smoking, drinking, substance abuse and eating fast food are major risk factors which lead to heart problems.

Heart attack and heart failure are not the same.
Heart attack is a sudden, acute event where symptoms include sweating, loss of consciousness etc. It is related to the blockage of blood vessels connected to the heart. Whereas, Heart failure occurs when the person does not take necessary treatment after an attack. If the person delays a doctor or hospital visit after they have a heart attack, chances of their heart muscle function going down is very high, leading to possible failure of the heart and hence death.

The treatment for heart attack and heart failure are different.
For a heart attack, the clot has to lysed and blood flow has to be reinstated to the heart. This can be done using medication OR you can mechanically open the blood vessel to unblock it.
For heart failure first level is medicines. This also depends on the percentage of heart muscle loss. If it’s less than 30%, additional therapy has to be given. Pace makers are used to re-synchronize the heart.

One of the callers asked Dr. Premkumar about Mitral valve prolapse.
Dr. Premkumar said that it is a trivial heart condition. 2% of the general population has it. It will not cause a problem but very rarely it can also lead to a valve leak in which case the valve has to be replaced.

Another caller asked what an unstable Angina is and how is it different from a heart attack. Doctor answered that if one is suffering from chest pain while resting; it can be an unstable angina and must be checked by a doctor immediately. It is a stage/warning of an impending heart attack.

A caller was concerned if weight gain or overweight could cause heart problems. Doctor told the caller that it could very well lead to heart problems and one should always make sure to eat healthy and keep fit to stay away from heart conditions. He says that even few genes transfer heart problems to the next generation, but it cannot be said for sure.

Dr. Premkumar also gave us a simple and valuable tip before concluding.

Avoid the lift, Take the stairs! Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors May Prevent 80 Percent of Heart Attacks.

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Middle-aged and older men were much less likely to have heart attacks over an average of 11 years if they drank moderately, didn’t smoke and did everything right on the diet, exercise and weight fronts, the study found.

The healthiest men could still eventually die of a heart attack, of course, and the study didn’t say if they live longer than others.

Still, “there is a lot to gain and money to be saved if people had a healthier lifestyle,” said study lead author Agneta Akesson, an associate professor with the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden.

Akesson’s team wanted to gain insight into the combined effect of different aspects of healthy living. Few studies have examined the overall impact in this manner, Akesson said.

For the study, published Sept. 22 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the researchers examined medical records and surveys of more than 20,700 Swedish men who were 45 to 79 years old in 1997. At the time, they had no history of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The researchers tracked them until 2009 to see how they fared.

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Salt (sodium) is important for our body. But when the level of sodium is high, our kidneys get affected and also our blood pressure increases.

Dr. Srinivasan discusses on the amount of salt intake needed for our body to be heart healthy. He says the raise in blood pressure caused by high salt intake may damage the arteries leading to the heart and the pumping of the heart can become weaker. So it is important to monitor and control the intake of salt.

There are salt substitutes available such as LoNa (Low Sodium) salt. These can be taken after consulting with your doctor. Herbs and garlic can also substitute salt in your food. It is better to consume rock salt instead of the table salt as it contains less sodium. Also, while processing, chemicals are added to the table salt to give it the free flow powder texture.

There are fortified salts that are available in the market that are good for certain health problems. For example, Iodized salt is good for thyroid problems. Salt fortified with Iron in recommended dosages is advised for patients suffering from Anemia.

Salt tends to be retained in the body. So, when we reduce salt intake, the excess salt in our body is utilized.

A caller tells us that Himalayan rock salt contains a lot of minerals is considered to be very healthy and Dr. Srinivasan agreed with him.

Dr. Srinivasan concluded his discussion by telling us that salt is important for our body but when it is consumed in excess, it can be harmful. Especially, people who have blood pressure and hypertension must restrict their salt intake before considering any medication to repair the damage.

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We all need a little bit of salt because it helps keep your body fluids at the right concentration. However, the majority of us eat more salt than we need. If you eat too much salt, your volume of body fluids increases and pushes up your blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to serious problems such as heart disease or stroke.

As salt is often a “hidden” ingredient in many foods, it can sometimes be difficult to work out how much you are eating. Some foods, such as crisps, olives and bacon, taste obviously salty and can easily be removed from your diet if you are trying to cut down.

However, 75% of the salt we eat comes from ready-made foods, such as bread, cereals and baked beans. Even sweet things, such as biscuits, have salt added to them.

To keep track of your salt intake, get into the habit of reading the nutritional information on food labels, where you will find the salt (sodium) content for a 100g serving. As a rough guide:

• a high amount of salt is more than 1.5g for 100g (0.6g sodium)
• a low amount of salt is 0.3g for 100g (0.1g sodium)

Read more about How much salt is good for you

Article source: http://www.nhs.uk/

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Heart is a vital organ of the body that needs your care for life. Every one of us has control over our body and we can do something to have a healthy heart. We can start by altering our lifestyle to kick – start our way towards a healthy heart.

Dr.Prakash Jain tells that diet can play a major role in lowering your cholesterol. He recommends few easy to follow tips for all ages to keep your cholesterol under control.

Especially in children, when they are overfed with fried and spicy food, their overall health will be affected. Children should be encouraged to exercise and keep them fit.

For young adults who are in their 20s-30s, doctor recommends to take smaller meals throughout the day instead of larger portions and also to reduce the quantity of red meat in their diet. A regular exercising habit along with this will give them a healthy lifestyle.

A caller who is a mother of a young boy was doubtful whether if it’s ok to give him junk food once in a while. Doctor Prakash replied that as long as the boy is following a healthy dietary pattern, indulging in junk food once in a while will do no harm.

Another caller asked if it is advisable for an eighty year old to undergo a valve transplant. Doctor replied saying age is not a constraint. It depends on the level of activity of the patient. Pin-hole surgeries, percutaneous transplant are innovations in the world of heart surgery.

When the cholesterol range is higher in your body, it builds up in the walls of your arteries causing a heart condition called atherosclerosis. If there is any unusual pain starting from your chest and spreading to rest of your body similar to heart attack symptoms, its wiser to consult a doctor immediately and get an ECG or stress test done.

We think that living a good quality of life with a heart condition is impossible. With healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and a good dietary pattern anyone can go on having a normal life with a heart condition. Doctor wraps up his conversation by saying heart disease is preventable if we keep ourselves healthy. To have a healthy body one must avoid active and passive smoking.

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The question is not what Apple Cider Vinegar can do, but what can’t it do. As a folk remedy, it has been credited with curing everything from the flu to warts or sunburn to dandruff. However, it also can help reverse many serious diseases that many would immediately turn to medications to solve. Here are 8 more reasons this powerful health tonic makes your kitchen your best pharmacy.

Unpasteurized or organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) contains mother of vinegar, which has a cobweb-like appearance and can make the vinegar look slightly congealed. It’s the only way apple cider vinegar should be consumed.

ACV can kill head lice, reverse aging, ease digestion, prevent flu, prevent acne, reduces inflammation, kill fungus, regulate pH balance, dissolve kidney stones and helps relieve allergies, migraines, asthma, nausea, heart burn and wash toxins from the body. Science has also verified the the empirical evidence observed through the ages.

1) Diabetes

The effect of apple cider vinegar on blood sugar levels is perhaps the best researched and the most promising of APV’s health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For instance, a study (White, A. Diabetes Care, November 2007) of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%. In another study from Arizona State University, subjects took a drink of 20 grams of apple cider vinegar and 40 grams of water. Those with insulin resistance who drank the vinegar had 34% lower postprandial (after-meal) glucose compared to controls. Vinegar may be the most cost-effective medicine in history, but most people with diabetes still aren’t taking it.

2) Allergies

This miracle vinegar helps to break up mucous throughout the body and cleanse the lymph nodes. Believe it or not, research suggests that apple cider vinegar can help with allergies because of its ability to reduce mucous and sinus congestion. When reducing the effects of allergies, it can also help stave off sinus infections and their related symptoms, such as sore throats and headaches.

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