A chat with Dr. Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya
A chat with Dr. Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees. The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.
Qn1. What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week;
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control BP - Blood pressure and Sugar
Qn2. Can we convert fat into muscles?
Ans: It is a dangerous myth. Fat and muscles are made of two different tissues, fat is fat ... Ugly and harmful... Muscle is muscle. Fat can never be converted into a muscle.
Qn3. It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
Qn4. Are heart diseases hereditary?
Ans: Yes
Qn5. What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.
Qn6. Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
Ans: Walking is better than jogging, since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.
Qn7. You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
Ans: Mother Theresa, who was my patient.
Qn8. Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Ans: Extremely rare.
Qn9. Does cholesterol accumulate right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.
Qn10. How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.
Qn11. How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
Qn12. Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and oil is the worst.
Qn13. Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
Ans: All oils are bad.
Qn14. What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.
Qn15. What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position, place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit, since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
Qn16. How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.
Qn17. What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.
Qn18. Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
Ans: Yes.
Qn19. Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may NOT have a software engineer as a child.
Qn20. Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?
Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as yougrow older, respect the biological clock.
Qn21. Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short/long term)?
Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.
Qn22. Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn23. Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
Ans : No.
Qn24. How would you define junk food?
Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , Samosas, and even Masala Dosas.
Qn25. You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.
Qn26. Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
Ans: No.
Qn27. Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded e-mails on this)?
Ans: Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.
Qn28. Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
Ans: No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.
Qn29. Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.
Qn30. Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.
Qn31. What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.
Qn32. Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
Ans : No.
Qn33. What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
Ans: There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.
Qn34. Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn35. Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
Ans: Nature protects women till the age of 45. (Present Global census show that the Percentage of heart disease in women has increased than in men).
Qn36. How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
Ans: Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkups if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) .... more
Qn1. What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week;
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control BP - Blood pressure and Sugar
Qn2. Can we convert fat into muscles?
Ans: It is a dangerous myth. Fat and muscles are made of two different tissues, fat is fat ... Ugly and harmful... Muscle is muscle. Fat can never be converted into a muscle.
Qn3. It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
Qn4. Are heart diseases hereditary?
Ans: Yes
Qn5. What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.
Qn6. Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
Ans: Walking is better than jogging, since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.
Qn7. You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
Ans: Mother Theresa, who was my patient.
Qn8. Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Ans: Extremely rare.
Qn9. Does cholesterol accumulate right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.
Qn10. How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.
Qn11. How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
Qn12. Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and oil is the worst.
Qn13. Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
Ans: All oils are bad.
Qn14. What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.
Qn15. What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position, place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit, since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
Qn16. How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.
Qn17. What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.
Qn18. Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
Ans: Yes.
Qn19. Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may NOT have a software engineer as a child.
Qn20. Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?
Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as yougrow older, respect the biological clock.
Qn21. Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short/long term)?
Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.
Qn22. Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn23. Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
Ans : No.
Qn24. How would you define junk food?
Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , Samosas, and even Masala Dosas.
Qn25. You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.
Qn26. Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
Ans: No.
Qn27. Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded e-mails on this)?
Ans: Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.
Qn28. Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
Ans: No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.
Qn29. Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.
Qn30. Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.
Qn31. What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.
Qn32. Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
Ans : No.
Qn33. What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
Ans: There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.
Qn34. Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn35. Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
Ans: Nature protects women till the age of 45. (Present Global census show that the Percentage of heart disease in women has increased than in men).
Qn36. How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
Ans: Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkups if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) .... more
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View all 15 comments Below 15 comments
JUGENDRA ARORA, agree that daily exercise is good and to say that your body is the best diagnostic centre may also be correct in general. However, are you able to interpret what your body is telling you? Your body may tell you that your arm is paining but would you know whether the pain is due to some physical exertion or a heart attack? more
Feb 06
Dr shetty himself is a golmol. no body can have such restictions . one can have whatever he can digest. even cardiologist take fried parathas in breakfast & advise not to take it. yr body is the best diagnostic centre require minimum one hr daily for any sort of exercises and body will help u 23 hrs. more
Feb 05
Mr. G. C. Mathur, I understand, sir, your predicament and I beg your pardon if what I have written is confusing the consumers. Believe me sir we have been misinformed for the last 40 years. The truth is slowly coming out. Please do your own research. The Internet is the world's knowledge base. Please do not search for what you have been told for the last 40 years; search for the things that are contrary to what you know. There are hundreds of doctors around the world who are trying their best to educate people but everyone seems to rely on their doctors who are themselves a part of the problem. The following is just one such article written by a doctor whose credentials you will find on the website. Please read it and then search for other articles with similar subjects and educate yourself on the real science. https://www.bewell.com/blog/7-things-you-need-to-know-when-your-doc-says-your-cholesterol-is-too-high/ more
Jan 20
Now, the post of John Pascoal Menezes is confusing the consumers. Who should clarify the ambiguities? more
Jan 20
With all due respects to sir Raja Chandra, I must say, that some views on cholesterol and fats are, I believe, based on old but flawed science. This flawed science has not only been sponsored by but is only benefiting the big pharmaceuticals and the food industry. There is a growing number of doctors and medical researchers who are proving the misinformation that has been fed to us 'victims' over the last 40 years. Our own prominent Indian doctors like Dr. Aseem Malhotra (top UK cardiologist) and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee (BBC One's Doctor in the House) who are based in the UK and others are going against the flawed science. According to these and may other doctors, medication is not the answer. The answer to good health is to make food (nutrition) as your medication. And good food is good fats, and plenty of it that must be consumed. Fats are essential to the body. Carbohydrates are not. What is bad and toxic are the Refined Carbohydrates that include Sugar, Bread, Pasta, Noodles, Refined oils (bad fats like canola, sunflower etc.) So it is hard to believe but do your own research as I am doing mine; the recommendation for your daily intake of food is 70 - 80% good fats, 12% proteins and less than 5% Carbohydrates (no sugar, but vegetables). This High Fat, Low Carbohydrate lifestyle not only helps to reduce your body weight, it also improves all the markers diabetes and heart problems. For the last 3 months I have stopped consuming sugar, honey etc and wheat products. I consume good fats (coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, animal fats etc..). The result has been phenomenal! My blood sugar before was in the diabetic range; now it is in very good normal range. My triglyceride was high and now it is in the normal range. My good cholesterol has gone up and my bad cholesterol is also gone up but according to the new research that has no consequence. Please take your health in your own hands. more
Jan 19
