Know The Risk Of Heart Attack Before It’s Too Late
In the past 25 years, India has witnessed rise in the occurrence of heart attack incidences. While in the western world, only 23% of deaths due to heart disease occur before the age of 70 years, this number is 52% in India. The prevalence of heart attack, ischemic heart disease and stroke has increased by over 50% from 1990 to 2016. Overall, the absolute burden of heart diseases has increased globally and has shifted heavily towards India and other low- and middle-income countries. This burgeoning burden is surging unabated in India and can be explained by the increased prevalence of coronary risk factors such as elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol.
Heart attacks are unpredictable. But the odds of heart disease are raised by higher level of LDL. Elevated LDL, the bad cholesterol, raises your chances of a heart attack. That’s because of build-up of fatty deposits within the walls of arteries. This reduces or blocks the blood and oxygen flow to your heart and eventually leads to heart attack.
In simple words - You may be at an increased risk of heart attack, despite high HDL and low LDL. There may be other risk factors that put your heart health at risk. So, it becomes a mandate to follow a lifestyle which makes our Heart Strong.
Low cholesterol levels may not mean a low heart attack risk
Low LDL protects your heart health. It is important to know that all cholesterol is not bad! Some types of cholesterol are essential for good health. HDL is good cholesterol. High HDL and low LDL make your heart strong.
However, there also have been studies claiming an increasing number of adverse events with low and extremely low LDL levels.
An individual person may have a whole range of other conditions smoking, diabetes which could increase this risk.
High cholesterol is traditionally related to increased risk of heart attack. But even people with ideal cholesterol could have underlying heart attack risks; as one may harbour other risk factors viz diabetes, hypertension, smoking, family history to name a few. The key to reduce risk is your prevention efforts. It’s important that even the 'healthiest' people take steps to promote better health. This will significantly reduce the heart attack risk.
Get to know about your heart risk:
If you had a family history of heart conditions then you carry a high risk of CV disease in future. First of all visit a doctor today to discuss your heart health and follow your doctor advice regarding diet and exercise.
High blood pressure puts you at increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes. If you are diabetic then keep a close eye on the blood sugar levels. If you have not got your blood sugar levels checked kindly do it today.
Being overweight may put you at increased risk of several serious medical conditions. The long-term risk of diabetes and high blood pressure significantly increases with obesity. Not only this, obese people are more likely to have heart disease and stroke. Visit your provider to get check your body mass index (BMI) today to tell whether you are at a normal weight, or have obesity. Obesity increases the risk for heart disease.
Young people of India are mostly spending time at office desk and having no physical activity. And older teens and children are busy watching TV and using smart gadgets like iPhones. The time is crucial now, prioritize and take physical activity seriously, no matter how busy you are. Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily to avoid health risks.
Make your heart strong with the help of following:
