Beyond diet and exercise: How modern urban lifestyles are changing the heart-health conversation

A person’s heart condition is often determined by such simple things like diet, exercise, no smoking, and cholesterol levels control. Nevertheless, given how increasingly hectic our lives become on a daily basis, cardiologists have found it necessary to look at other possible lifestyle aspects affecting cardiovascular wellbeing. They consist of stress, sleep deprivation, sitting for too long, occupational pressures, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and physical inactivity. When it comes to people who work in the city, the issue is not about the lack of knowledge but maintaining proper practices while working long hours. This could translate to less time for exercising, proper nutrition, and sleep due to the stresses of always being connected to one’s work.

Stress is just a natural bodily reaction; however, when stress persists, there is an ongoing condition of heightened alertness. Chronic stress is especially critical for individuals suffering from cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.

According to Dr Anand Kumar M, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, SPARSH Hospital, Yeswanthpur, Bangalore “More and more, we have to start viewing cardiovascular health as an issue of the overall lifestyle and not just about one particular figure such as cholesterol. Chronic stress, lack of proper sleep, long working hours, and sedentary behavior combined might lead to an environment that is not good for the heart. It doesn’t mean that stress leads to heart problems in itself; however, it might affect a variety of issues that matter, including blood pressure, sleep, and lifestyle. That is why our aim should be spotting this kind of pattern and making sustainable changes to it before any health problem occurs.”

With an ever-increasing trend of working late at night and waking up early in the morning in the workplace, there has been a sacrifice of sleep so as to balance professional and personal duties. Sleep deprivation may also interfere with energy levels and behavior during the day.

Dr (Major) Abhinav Srivastava, Consultant – Cardiology, Regency Hospital, Gorakhpur, said: “When we talk about heart disease prevention, sleeping shouldn’t be an option. Individuals who always keep themselves sleep-deprived might be living an inactive life and eating junk food. It becomes all the more essential for people who are having health problems such as hypertension or diabetes. A heart-healthy life is not just about one change, but about establishing a daily routine which will provide proper rest to the body along with some physical activity.”

Another emerging issue is the time people tend to spend in a sitting position. Desk jobs, long journeys to work, and sedentary leisure can cause someone to spend very little time exercising even if they do some physical activity now and then.

Dr Amar Singhal, Director Cardiology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi “The fact is, one hour at the gym cannot always compensate for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. The activity needs to be incorporated in the entire daily routine, from working out in short bursts while at work, to not sitting all day but instead walking around, to exercising regularly. We also need to consider those habits that go along with a sedentary lifestyle, such as erratic food intake, lack of good sleep and long periods spent in front of the screens. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases is best achieved through constant physical activity.”

Cardiovascular prevention strategy in the current era should thus transcend the scope of risk factors of individuals and factor in the way of living. “Stress control, sleep, exercise, proper nutrition, and smoking avoidance have to be in tandem with the surveillance of blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Dr Vijay Kumar Bahl, Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Aortic Stenosis, Metro Group of Hospitals, said: “The key aspect that needs to change is the transition from reactive healthcare into preventive care. People should not wait for themselves to feel any signs such as chest pain before thinking about taking care of their heart’s health. Although regular health screening is important, what also needs to be done is understanding the context of these numbers. For example, if an individual always experiences high stress levels, poor sleep patterns, long sitting times and inactivity in physical activities, this should be taken into consideration. Changes done on time can have greater significance than the ones done as a result of a critical health situation.”

There are no strict prerequisites for living a heart-conscious life as there may be no need for radical changes. Exercise, proper rest, nutritious diet, abstention from smoking, ideal weight and controlled hypertension and diabetes may form the base of cardiovascular preventive measures.

The broader idea behind this World Heart Day is that heart condition depends not only on what takes place at the clinic, but also on what goes on outside clinic walls during workday and at home.

In order to have a better heart condition, prevention should become a way of life.