Sedentary lifestyle could be one of the reasons why an increasing number of people, particularly the youth are suffering from heart diseases and disorders, says Dr. Kalavathi.
If numbers are to be believed, in India several people die of cardiac diseases and disorders and ironically cardio disease continues to affect the young. This disease has earned the reputation of being a killer disease. Dr. S Saravanan, a city based cardio specialists shares with us that about a decade ago a father and his son used to visit his clinic. Back then the father was the patient. However things have changed with the changing times and now the same father–son duo visit this doctor and this time the son is his patient. 'Raghav, an entrepreneur by profession, who is in his 40s is undergoing treatment for cardiac disease, and his father Subramaniam accompanies him to my clinic every month' Dr.Saravanan said.
This doctor points out that sedentary lifestyle could be one of the prime reasons why an increasing number of people, particularly the youth are suffering from heart diseases and disorders.
Seconding him is Dr Kalavathi who is the founder and owners of Ethnic Health Care, a centre that treats patients using Siddha medicine who says “People in general, in this contemporary era where gadgets dominate, are involved in no or very minimal physical activity. In the modern day, we humans are pressed for time, and our dependency on electronic gadgets has beyond doubt reduced the amount of physical activity an individual is involved in. A classic example is that of using an elevator. These days the youth tends to get breathless when they climb up just one floor of steps. However, our grand-parents used to be involved in physical activity of several kinds once upon a time.” she says.
Quoting an example of one of her patients who is in his 30s Dr. Kalavathi shares with us that this youth had to give up his plum paying job in the Information Technology (IT) sector in Chennai as he could not take the stress. “He was earning a six digit salary and he experienced a heart attack while at work. On medical grounds he was terminated and he is currently undergoing treatment to manage stress and also for his cardio condition.” Dr. Kalavathi says.
It is a myth that only the men are prone to heart disease. Dr. Kalavathi clarifies that this is not the case. Family heredity is one of the causes why an increasing number of both men and women are prone to suffering from heart disease and disorders.
This doctor advices us that in order to keep heart disease and disorders at bay we must get our basics right which include, eating right, getting the right amount of sleep and also involving in physical activity. 'Stress is something individuals will have to learn to manage', she stressed.