Heart Attack: Are you at risk?

by September 16, 2012 Health

South East Asians, and that includes Indians, are genetically much more predisposed to heart disease than other individuals. What can you do to cut down the risks?

September 29th is observed as world Heart day. Cardiovascular diseases causes at least 17 million people deaths annually.

Heart attack typically occurs when blood supply to heart is blocked. If the blockage is temporary, it results in chest pain or ‘Angina.’ If it is prolonged and irreversible, it leads to death of heart muscles, and is called heart attack. It can and does lead to death in a significant number of cases, if immediate treatment is not provided. It is estimated that 50 percent of all deaths due to heart attack occurs in first hour.

Pic courtesy: Wikimedia commons

It is therefore imperative to understand the risk factors associated with heart attack, and check whether you are at risk or not. The most important risk factor, which cannot be modified, is ‘genetic.’ South East Asians, and that includes Indians, are genetically much more predisposed to heart disease than other individuals.

Tool to assess if you are at risk.

You can check on the link : Framingham Heart study and use the interactive tool.

In addition, obesity is significantly associated with this disease. More so because it leads to other risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol levels) and decreased activity.

Your chances of getting a heart attack are significantly increased, if you are a smoker. Contrary to popular perception, alcoholism also contributes to your risk.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

Genetic predisposition, is something you cannot fight, but there are other risk factors that you can pay attention to.

  • Quit smoking.
  • If you are obese or overweight, consult your physicians. Losing weight is one single     intervention which can help control diabetes, blood pressure, and a host of other problems.    
  • Regulate your diet. Cut down on junk food, aerated drinks, alcohols, chips, peanuts,     salt, sugar and oil.
  • Exercise daily. Brisk walking is a good form of exercise.    
  • Reduce your stress level. A bit of planning can help reduce stress     of deadlines. Meditation, spending quality time with your family and friends does cut down the stress levels significantly.⊕
Sections:

About Mukul Saxena

Col (Retd) Dr Mukul Saxena has over 30 years of cross-functional expertise in healthcare, both in public and private sectors.
Read more by Mukul Saxena

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Smart safeguard: Annual rabies antibody testing for workers

by March 6, 2026 Health
Animal activists urge the government to recommend RVNA, a simple, cost-effective way to protect animal welfare workers against rabies.

The street dogs issue continues to spark discussion across Indian cities, without a sustainable and humane solution in sight. While the problem of dog bites may be  real, it is also important to be pragmatic, preemptive and protect frontline workers in the animal welfare sector by dealing with its greatest potential downside, head on.   A simple, cost-effective intervention is to mandate or strongly encourage annual Rabies Virus Neutralising Antibody (RVNA) titre testing for all animal welfare workers. This not only protects them from rabies but it also enhances public health resilience against the fatal disease, at minimal expense. Bengaluru is…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Delhi’s air is toxic, but are South Indian cities really breathing safe?

by January 28, 2026 Health
South India’s AQI may look “satisfactory,” but long-term exposure to toxic air, weak monitoring, and rising emissions shape a public health crisis.

"Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains poor." "Flights cancelled due to smog in Delhi."  The headlines mostly focus on Delhi’s toxic air, and the spotlight rarely shifts. However, another story often goes untold: the air in South Indian cities. The AQI readings in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and others mostly fall in the “satisfactory” range. Yet, does that really mean the air is safe to breathe? On a busy road in HSR Layout, Kanmani runs a tiffin centre from a pushcart. One evening, she began wrapping up earlier than usual. Just beside her shop, the air was thick with smoke. Garbage…

Continue reading