The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : `Exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

`Exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy'

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, DEC. 19. Eat moderately, drink rarely, never smoke and exercise daily.

That is the best way to stay free of heart disease, according to Stanley John, pioneer of open-heart surgery in India.

Dr. John, who is professor and head of the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, was speaking to presspersons here on Friday

He said that about 30 per cent of the Indian population is prone to heart disease.

Genetically predisposed

He said that Indians are genetically predisposed to cardiac problems either through the rheumatic route or through the cardiovascular route.

The main reason for being genetically predisposed to cardiac problems is that they eat irrationally.

The other reasons include not getting into a regular regimen of exercise and developing obesity at an early age.

This can be seen among the average Indian whose physique is generally referred to as "lemon on a stick."

Abdominal obesity is one of the major and most common reasons for heart diseases, he added.

Asked if vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, Dr. John said there is no evidence of that.

He, however, said that anything that is cooked in lots of oil or ghee is bad for the heart.

Everybody who is above 30 should go in for lipids test once a year.

It is also better and advisabl e to take the treadmill test to accurately assess the condition of the heart, he added.

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