KATHMANDU, Sept 29: Have you reached the age of 40? Are you suffering from high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels or diabetes? People facing these health issues are at a higher risk of a heart attack or heart diseases. Doctors have warned that people of this age group may have a heart attack or kidney failure at any time if they do not pay attention to their health. Senior cardiologist Dr Om Murti Anil gave this warning while giving a presentation on heart disease on Thursday. People above the age of 40 are at a higher risk of heart attack if they neglect these underlying factors, experiencing a heart attack where the heart stops and the person loses their life.
According to Dr Anil, due to unhealthy lifestyle, problems of high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes are seen even in the youth under 40 years of age. In this case, they can reduce the risk by taking medication under the supervision of a doctor, exercising regularly, and paying attention to diet.
It is important to note that changes in lifestyle can potentially reduce the need for medication, but discontinuing medication without proper consultation carries the risk of sudden heart attacks. After reaching a certain age, exercise should not be done casually Dr Murti Anil suggests. Dr Anil says that regular vigorous exercise can lead to heart attacks and should be increased gradually. "I have met many patients who have suffered heart attacks due to vigorous exercise," he said.
According to him, if young people between 20 and 40 years adopt a healthy lifestyle, the factors of heart attack such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol can be controlled. But people over 60 cannot control the risk factors of heart disease through lifestyle changes alone.
"To avoid a heart attack, young people should emphasize a healthy lifestyle, people over 40 should think about whether they have heart disease, after reaching 55/60, they should emphasize on medicine," he said. He suggested that we should find a way to prevent heart diseases from 40 to 60 years. One should try to prevent high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and diabetes at an earlier age. According to Dr Anil, people above the age of 60 should take mandatory medicines on the advice of a doctor if they have risk diseases. Older individuals should not merely change their lifestyle; they should continue taking their prescribed medication. “Failure to take medication can lead to sudden heart failure or kidney failure at any time,” he said.
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According to doctors, heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Non-communicable diseases account for the largest number of deaths in the world each year. Among the non-communicable diseases, there are more deaths due to heart and heart-related diseases, high blood pressure, heart attacks and diabetes.
Even there is the absence of concrete statistical data; Dr Anil explains that certain risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol levels are contributing to increased mortality in Nepal due to heart diseases.
Lately, while rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease have been diagnosed and treated and brought under control, heart attacks have not been brought under control. Heart attack is the leading cause of death among heart diseases. It is estimated that more than 50 percent of deaths in the world are due to heart attacks. According to the doctor, the main symptoms of a heart attack are swelling of the neck, chest pain, and shortness of breath, fainting, and fatigue. Many people mistakenly associate heart disease with a heart attack.
If a heart attack occurs at home and the heart stops at that time, the patient cannot be treated and dies. People at risk of a heart attack can initially improve with diet and exercise. A minimally invasive treatment i.e. angioplasty can be done to open the blocked artery if heart problems are detected during regular heart check. There are also other tests. This treatment is possible without surgery. Another technique to treat heart problems is bypass surgery and pacemaker technique.
Factors contributing to cardiovascular diseases
According to doctors, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels are the primary causes of heart attacks. Other factors contributing to heart disease include unhealthy lifestyle choices, obesity, being overweight, a poor diet, aging, physical inactivity, pollution, stress, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Most of these factors increase the risk of heart attacks and death, and the primary cause of such diseases is often an unhealthy lifestyle. Heart attacks are more prevalent in men than in women.
How to reduce the risk?
While not every individual may develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol problems by the age of 55 or 60, individuals can manage their risk factors by adhering to regular health check-ups, following a doctor's advice regarding risk disease medication, maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, limiting red meat consumption, embracing a simpler lifestyle, incorporating greens and fruits into their diet, and managing stress and weight. Additionally, regular exercise and controlling high blood pressure are vital steps to preventing heart disease. According to doctors, brisk walking for at least one hour daily can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
