It is observed that most people become aware about their heart ailment only after suffering from a heart attack or chest pain. Do you see reluctance on the part of the patients to do regular checkups? What advice would you give them regarding detecting heart disease early?

Dr. Ashish Contractor is the Head of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation in Asian Heart Institute. After studying Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and training under Dr. Neil Gordon, who is considered a pioneer in preventive cardiology in US, Dr. Ashish returned to India in 2001 and has been a part of the preventive cardiology department in Asian Heart Institute since its inception.  Dr. Ashish has coordinated medical support for Mumbai Marathon since its initiation and was a part of the team of doctors who treated hon’ble PM Dr. Manmohan Singh after his redo bypass surgery in January 2009.

In this interview with Medimanage.com, Dr. Ashish shares his insights about heart disease and ways to keep your heart healthy.

It is observed that most people become aware about their heart ailment only after suffering from a heart attack or chest pain. Do you see reluctance on the part of the patients to do regular checkups? What advice would you give them regarding detecting heart disease early?

There is a general reluctance but over a period of time, with increasing awareness, and also, frankly, seeing people around you suffer, more people are coming for checkups. The advice I would give them is to know about their simple parameters like weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Forget complicated figures, but after you cross the age of 18, as an adult, you need to monitor these simple things.

How do you know you should get your heart checked up? How often should the checkup be done?

That becomes difficult to answer as it depends upon what do you mean by check up and at what age, but there are guidelines, for example for breast cancer, if I am not mistaken, women over the age of 40 should be screened, for prostate cancer, men over the age of 40- 45 should get themselves examined.

For heart, there is no specific age but like I mentioned the moment they are adults they should know their blood sugar level, BP, etc.  If the numbers are not normal, the frequency of checkups will depend on the abnormality. The doctor will prescribe some medication and ask you to follow up after a certain period. But if the figures are normal, checking once in a year or once in two years is fine. So the frequency changes depending on the specific case.

Indians are at greater risk of heart disease than the Westerners. At the same time we are people who are not generally serious about health. Is it a double blow? How do you see the trend of heart diseases in India affecting young age people?

The trend of heart disease in India is rapidly on the increase, the statistics show that from 1990-2000 there has been a rapid upward curve for the disease. Having said that, you have said people don’t take care of their health in India, but India is so diverse in every aspect that it cannot be generalized. But among the middle and upper middle class, there is an increased awareness about heart disease.

Eating non-vegetarian food, especially Red Meat, makes you more prone to heart diseases. Comment

Red meat is generally high in saturated fats. And saturated fats tend to increase cholesterol in the body especially LDL or the bad cholesterol. Hence red meat is considered to be bad for the heart. But this doesn’t mean you cannot eat non vegetarian food, even those suffering from heart ailments can still eat non vegetarian food but need to avoid red meat or reduce the frequency, they can have it once a week or ten days.

Are non vegetarians more prone to heart disease?

No, you cannot say that, I always maintain you can be an unhealthy vegetarian or a healthy non vegetarian and can be a healthy vegetarian or an unhealthy non vegetarian. Most of the patients that we see in our hospitals for example are vegetariansSo it is not that non vegetarians are more prone to the disease.

Since you have worked with Dr. Dean Ornish best known for his program for Reversing heart disease without drugs or surgery, tell us about the program.

Well, this program is a very strict program with four components which are a low fat diet, moderate exercise, yoga and group support therapy. If you do it right, you will see the results but as we are learning more and more we understand that this is not the only way, there are other ways that can be followed too.

So we can reverse heart disease without surgery?

The term reversal of heart disease needs to be understood. We think that there is an artery with 90% block and you do something and it reduces to 60% but it doesn’t work that way. The block doesn’t shrink to 60%, the only thing that is reduced is the chance of an event. So it is a physiological reversal but it is not anatomical reversal. When you take care of all these factors, a reversal is possible. That is what we also do in our cardiac rehab program. He has ‘a method’, we have ‘a method’ but the principles are the same.

Everyone knows they need to exercise and eat a healthy diet but it still seems a difficult task for stressed out, busy urbanites. What other tips could you suggest for them to keep their heart healthy?

At least in terms of exercise, there aren’t too many alternatives; you either do it or you don’t but the bottom line is you need to exercise.  As far as, diet is concerned, there are hundred roads to lead to good health.

When you say exercise, what does that mean, does that mean you need to go to the gym thrice a week?

Exercise means two main things; one is being physically active throughout the day and the second is formal exercise. There should be some kind of cardiovascular exercise like cycling, walking and swimming or playing a sport and some of resistance weight training 2-3 times a week, all of these constitute exercise; you can pick and choose what you want. You don’t always have to go to the gym for that. There is a lot of variation but you have to do it. You cannot escape the fact that you need to exercise.

How does our way of dealing with stress relate to heart disease?

Stress is an area which is very difficult to quantify, unlike diabetes or cholesterol or blood pressure. There has been a very big study called as ‘Inter Heart study’ where they say that stress, or ‘psycho-social’ factors play a very important role in the development of heart disease. How or how much, we cannot really say. Another thing is stress is present in everyone’s life, especially in urban setting; like being stuck in traffic. It is about how we deal with it. Some people really react to it negatively while some people deal with it calmly.

How are genetics related to heart disease?

Genetics or family risk for heart disease is a potent risk factor.  How much would they affect, it is difficult to say. Some people’s genes are so ‘bad’ they may get it no matter what but there is a difference. If they take all the care, they may get an attack at 60, that too, a mild one than getting a fatal attack at 45. So it is not that if your genes are bad, you are doomed, there are a lot of other things that you can do.

To know more about Dr. Aashish Contractor talks about Heart’s Health

Compare & Buy Best Health Insurance Policy

Find More Chest Pain Articles

How neck adjustments are performed at the chiropractor in this free alternative medicine video. Expert: Brian Renner Bio: Brian Renner graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa. He is currently practicing in Fontana, California at the Southridge Chiropractic Center. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
Video Rating: 4 / 5

10 Myths About Heart Attacks Debunked!

While we are pretty used to watching men, in the typical Bollywood movies, clutching their chests and falling down from what is apparently a heart attack, it needn’t come so obviously.

There are a number of myths about heart care and more specifically about heart attacks. We obviously want to stay clear of heart ailments so we carry with us a number of beliefs about things that we consider will either keep us safe from or make us more prone to heart attacks.  But many of these may be misguiding or downright wrong. So let us do away with the unnecessary fears and learn what will actually help our hearts. 

Below are some common misconceptions that we try to clear for you:

If you are fit you are not prone to heart attacks

Most of our doctors, health magazines and elders stress on the fact that those who are overweight, eat out a lot, or do not exercise are more susceptible to heart attacks. While they are not wrong, those who are thin, do regular exercise and eat proper are not safe from heart attacks either.  This is because cholesterol depositions which are the most common cause of clogging of arteries can be present in thin people too.  Physical appearance can many times mask an underlying health problem.

Moreover heart problems and heart attacks are also genetic. So if you have a history of heart issues in your family you are likely to get it too. There are also factors like diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure that put you at a risk, no matter your weight. Gender and age also matter. So in spite of how healthy you look or feel, get a check up to ascertain your heart’s health!

It’s easy to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack

While we are pretty used to watching men, in the typical Bollywood movies, clutching their chests and falling down from what is apparently a heart attack, it needn’t come so obviously. The classic symptoms of a heart attack include a heavy feeling in the chest that may be painful. But the heaviness or pain may spread to the left arm, neck, or jaw.

Symptoms include:

Chest pain Pressure, heaviness or tightness in the chest Pain or pressure in the neck or jaw Pain or pressure in one or both arms (especially the left) Shortness of breath Sweating Nausea Pain or throbbing between the shoulder blades

Many people suffer from heart attacks but assume it is only a heartburn or fatigue. When it comes to your heart, it’s important to consult a doctor rather than to self diagnose!

No chest pain means no heart attack

Most of us believe that if we were having a heart attack, it would involve having a chest pain. But as mentioned above recognizing a heart attack isn’t that easy. The classic signs include chest pain but it needn’t really cause chest pain. According to CNN, 40 to 60 percent of all heart attacks are unrecognized by their victims. If you’re having some sort of unusual discomfort in your back, chest or upper arms, whether or not it is in the middle of your back or the middle of your chest, don’t wait until your heart stops; go to a hospital and get a check up done.

Women do not suffer from heart attacks

Since womenin movies do not clutch at their hearts and collapse to the floor it is assumed that women do not suffer from heart attacks. True, women are less prone to heart attacks before menopause due to the presence of estrogen, which protects them from heart attacks, but post menopause women are just as prone to heart attacks as men are.  In fact, probably more.

According to statistics: [courtesy Women’s Heart Foundation]

Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart diseases each year (including heart attacks), accounting for a third of all deaths in women.Women are twice as likely as men to die within the first few weeks after suffering a heart attack.38% of women and 25% of men die within one year of a first recognized heart attack.

Women have the same symptoms as men have for a heart attack

Women do not usually experience the commonly expected chest pain as men do when they suffer from heart attacks. 71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like the flu – often with no chest pain at all. Nearly two-thirds of the deaths from heart attacks in women occur among those who have no history of chest pain at all. Even if they do experience mild chest discomfort they simply do not perceive it to be a heart attack like men do. So they must get any abnormal pain checked up.

Here are some of the symptoms of female heart attack:

Shortness of breathWeaknessUnusual fatigueNauseaDizzinessAbdominal discomfort that may seem like indigestion

Medical professionals are challenged to respond to women’s milder symptoms, due to insufficient information.

If you have chest pain wait and see if it goes away

If you have a pain in your chest, you definitely must not sit around and wait to see if it goes away. If you’re having significant chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or any other symptoms that suggest a heart attack, call a hospital or any clinic’s emergency number. If you delay treatment when you are having a heart attack you could cause irreparable damage to your heart and it could also prove to be fatal.

You cannot die simply out of fear or severe emotions

It is possible to die of fright, or for that matter grief, anger, joy, or just about any other intense emotion. Though usually victims are older and likely to be in unstable health conditions, even younger people could be so affected. It is possible for a terrifying event to trigger a fatal heart attack.

Multiple scientific studies show that important mind and body connections exist for health in general and cardiovascular health in particular. Your levels of stress and wellbeing are extremely important for your cardiovascular health. Higher stress levels or negative emotions like anger or depression could burden your heart pumping due to release of certain hormones in our blood stream like adrenalin. You should therefore look for ways and means to reduce stress and negative emotions in your lives.

If you are young you will have no heart problems

Though predominantly those who are older are more prone to having a heart attack, it is possible to start developing coronary artery disease as a teenager. People in their 20s and 30s have suffered from heart attacks. A heart-healthy lifestyle needs to begin in the childhood, so that kids don’t develop bad habits that they carry to adulthood. Parents should encourage their kids to exercise, limit time spent in front of the television or computer screen, and partake healthy, well-balanced meals.

Children, who are obese, have high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease are at a higher risk. Also, although rare, some children (usually due to genetic differences) can have unusually high cholesterol and thus an increased risk for heart disease.

Another problem today is the kind of lifestyle that we live. Especially the young working population today lives an unbalanced life with no exercise, a lot of junk food and high stress levels. Not to mention overexposure to technology implements that is proving to harm our lives. For this populatonis it especially necessary to have regular checkups and a conscious effort to maintain a well balanced life.

You feel it’s not a heart problem just stress and anxiety

A sudden spurt in your heart beat at rest is the sign of a deeper problem than just probably your seeing your boss seeing what you were looking at on your computer or the fear of a test result. It is possible that you suffer from an irregular heartbeat that requires medication. Similarly, if you often feel like you’re hyperventilating, it’s easy to brand it as anxiety, but it’s worth considering whether you have a heart problem.

In today’s rushed lives, we think that stress and anxiety are just a part of our lives and must be tolerated. But even if you’re sure that your racing heartbeat is only due to stress, you’re still damaging your heart in the long run. Eventually, a constantly speeding heart will weaken the heart’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. Stress reduction techniques like yoga, meditation, massage therapy and relaxing baths are just as important to your heart as a healthy diet and regular exercise.

To know more about 10 Myths About Heart Attacks Debunked!

Compare & Buy Best Health Insurance Policy

Related Chest Pain Articles

These exercises are a small example of the individually designed exercise programmes available at www.desktherapy.com

Ever get heartburn after eating your favorite meal, or have a sore throat with acidic remnants? This could be caused by acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Most people at some point in their life experience the symptoms of acid reflux but about 10% of American adults deal with acid reflux on a daily basis.

Ever get heartburn after eating your favorite meal, or have a sore throat with acidic remnants? This could be caused by acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Most people at some point in their life experience the symptoms of acid reflux but about 10% of American adults deal with acid reflux on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they don’t have to continue living with these painful symptoms. Acid reflux is a common and treatable problem, however most people don’t even realize it.

            Acid reflux disease or disorder is caused from an inflammation or irritation of the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. When we eat, food goes down the esophagus into the stomach where acid is released to digest the food. However, once the food is in the stomach the lower esophageal sphincter is supposed to close off the stomach not allowing any food, liquid or acid to move backwards up the esophagus. When the sphincter isn’t closed tightly some regurgitation can splash up into the esophagus. This fluid contains acid, pepsin and bile, which are harmful to the lining of the esophagus. If this continues to occur overtime it can be potentially dangerous for the esophagus.

            Although the primary cause of acid reflux is the weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter there are other risk factors that can lead to acid reflux disease. Obesity, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and taking some prescription medications are all outside factors that can cause acid reflux. The medications that can cause acid reflux include blood pressure medication, asthma medication, heart disease medication, antidepressants and some sedatives. Hiatal hernias, pregnancy, and scleroderma are conditions that have also been linked with acid reflux.

            Common symptoms of acid reflux include heartburn, burning pain in the chest, nausea after eating, regurgitation, trouble swallowing or food feeling trapped within the esophagus. Although there are other symptoms that are not as likely such as coughing, wheezing, hiccups, pain with swallowing, hoarseness, sore throat and acid residue in the throat. Symptoms can be minimal or severe depending upon the person’s case of acid reflux. If acid reflux becomes chronic without any relief damage to the esophagus can cause additional symptoms that can lead to esophageal cancer later on down the road. Injury to the esophagus can cause a chronic cough, laryngitis, asthma, dentine hypersensitivity, sinusitis, erosion of the dental enamel and damaged and discolored teeth.

            Acid reflux is treatable and manageable through several different techniques. Due to our society’s reliability on medicine, most people would probably choose an over the counter antacid to suppress the acid reflux. Although, this may work in the mean time to relieve the symptoms by removing the acid, it won’t work for chronic acid reflux, which keeps coming back. Prescription medications for heartburn relief can work however they usually take longer and can cause side effects that are worse than the symptoms of acid reflux. These medications include Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium, and Prilosec, H2 antagonists such as Zantac, and Pepsid and Promotility agents.  However, most often than not the best way totreat acid reflux is through dietary and lifestyle changes.

            Making small but effective lifestyle changes can rid your body and life of acid reflux. Although, food is something that the body needs to function, it can be our worst enemy in terms of acid reflux. Some foods, normally the ones we love to eat, can actually be the culprit, which causes our stomachs to excrete excess acid.  By reducing the intake of these foods, or learning to eat them in a different way (with different foods) we can decrease or eliminate the symptoms of acid reflux. Alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, spicy foods, fatty foods, full fat dairy products, peppermint, and spearmint have all been shown to trigger acid reflux. Eating large meals have also been proven to cause acid reflux due to the additional acid production in the stomach as well as the overflow of fluid into the esophagus. In addition you should avoid eating within 2-3 hours before you go to bed. Lying down with a full stomach can cause the fluid to go back up into the esophagus. You should also raise your upper body and head approximately 6 inches above your stomach. This will not allow for acid, or food to move upwards into the esophagus. Wearing tight clothes around the stomach can also increase the symptoms of acid reflux. It puts pressure on the stomach, which can force food up into the esophagus.

            Stop being burdened by the symptoms of acid reflux. You now have the capability to live free of heartburn and acid reflux. Don’t let acid reflux disease inconvenience your life any more than it already has. Make the choice today!

http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Acid_Reflux_Disorder.html

bit.ly Is Your Chest Pain a Heart Attack? “Time is Tissue” or even your life when it comes to recognizing heart attack signs and taking timely action. Heart attacks can be survived if you learn how to prevent the heart attack in the first place or recognize when it is occurring and take swift action. Gordon, a US Air Force Unit Commander in San Francisco, entertains us with his story of heart attack survival while demonstrating his juggling prowess. Swift identification of his chest pains saved Gordon’s life — learning how to recognize the symptoms of heart attacks can save yours.
Video Rating: 5 / 5

This is Freak kitchen “Chest Pain Waltz”, enjoy!
Video Rating: 5 / 5

What causes neck pain? Explaination of how the neck works

Diamond push-ups can be difficult to complete at first. You should make sure you have the foundational strength.

Push-ups are one of the best workouts you can do for your torso. You should be doing all of them on a regular basis so that you tend to be giving your torso the resistant instruction that it craves with regard to. You should do normal push ups with your hands regarding shoulder-width apart. You should drop for about a two 2nd count and increase for about a two 2nd count. Your preliminary goal in push-up would be to acquire proper type and habits so that you can have a solid foundation to construct your upper body on. As you get stronger, you need to vary the kinds of push-ups that you simply do. One great push-up that would be ideal for your chest and much more on your triceps as well as shoulders is the gemstone push-ups. Here are some tips on how to perform these diamond push-ups with regard to effective gains for your upper body and hands.

Diamond push-ups can be difficult to complete at first. You should make sure you have the foundational strength. Gemstone push-ups are done with your catalog fingers and thumbs coming in contact with each other- creating a gemstone shape. You objective is to put your own chest on which diamond formed because of your hands. This physical exercise can also put tension on your elbows therefore be careful when doing this particular movement. Initially, you are able to spread your catalog finger and usb so that they are not touching- distribute them out a little more. Then, do your own diamond push ups everyday. You can distribute your feet at make width to give you much better balance when you do that movement. You can try to do 10 great diamond push-ups. Then, for those who have not done so, you could have your fingers as well as thumb touching one another. You should be controlled from the whole exercise motion especially when you are going lower. Your elbows ought to be out.

If you feel a few excessive pain inside your rotator cuffs, you will need to reinforce your shoulders more prior to doing multiple reps of this exercise. That you can do military push-ups to strengthen individuals rotator cuffs. This is done such as regular push-ups but your fingers are slightly directed outwards and from your body. Then, within the bottom position from the military push-up, your arms should be touching your own obliques (the side of your stomach). You will get stronger within the shoulder to be able to perform those wonderful gemstone push-ups.Diamond push-ups are great to increase your repertoire associated with push-up movements. There are so many variants of push-ups and these specific push-ups are great for your torso development.