South Asians

and their hearts

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dil the heart
We hear this word everywhere, even in the titles of our favourite Bollywood
films. Does it deserve so much attention? The answer is yes. Thats why its
important that we keep it healthy and disease free.
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the leading cause of death in the UK and
unfortunately, South Asians are developing heart disease earlier and at faster rates than the white
population.
What is heart disease?
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is when the coronary arteries, blood vessels that supply the
heart muscle with blood and oxygen, become narrow or blocked. Fat, cholesterol and other things
build up on the inside of these tiny arteries and harden, a process known as atherosclerosis. This
takes place gradually over many years and affects the normal flow of blood to the heart muscle,
reducing its efficiency.
If the arteries are partially blocked, the heart muscle no longer receives enough blood and
oxygen. This is a form of heart disease; its called angina and is often felt as a chest pain,
particularly during exercise. It can be a warning sign for a future heart attack.
If the arteries are completely blocked, part of the heart muscle becomes starved of oxygen and is
damaged. This is a heart attack.

reduce your risk of heart disease

Knowing what puts you at risk of developing heart disease is important to help reduce your risk.

Natural risk factors Lifestyle risk factors Clinical risk factors

Family history Smoking High blood pressure
Age An unhealthy, unbalanced diet Raised blood cholesterol levels
Gender Lack of physical exercise Diabetes
Ethnic background Being overweight or obese

The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk. While you cant change natural risk factors,
the good news is that you can eliminate lifestyle risk factors and minimise clinical risk factors its
all about making the right lifestyle choices.

blood pressure - know your numbers

Your heart pumps blood around your body,
under pressure, so it reaches all parts of your
body. Your blood pressure fluctuates throughout
the day according to your bodys activities, but if
it remains high (a condition called hypertension),
it can harm your heart and arteries, increasing
your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Hypertension is defined as a blood pressure of
160/100 mmHg or above.
get your blood pressure checked. The ideal
blood pressure is 120/80 or below
keep your blood pressure below 140/90
and if you have diabetes below 130/80
if you have raised blood pressure (140/90
to 160/100), losing weight, exercising and
cutting down on the salt you eat daily will
help reduce it
check your cholesterol
Cholesterol is the building block for cells, vitamin D and some hormones like testosterone.
Your body makes what it needs in the liver, but, depending on the type of fat you eat and how
much, your liver can make too much. To reduce your risk of heart disease you need to:
keep your total cholesterol below 5 mmol/l
LDL is the bad cholesterol that can fur up arteries, keep this below 3 mmol/l
HDL is the good cholesterol that takes cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the
liver, this needs to be above 1 mmol/l
Keep your cholesterol levels healthy by cooking sensibly and choosing low fat foods.

watch your waistline

Recommendation:
Excess body fat around your middle increases your risk of developing
Avoid foods high in fats,
diabetes and high cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for heart
sugars and calories as
disease. these can lead to weight
South Asian women should keep their waist measurement below gain. Remember, if you
eat more calories than
80cm (32 inches) and South Asian men below 90cm (35.5 inches)
your body uses up, you
will put on weight.

diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where blood glucose (sugar) can get too high,
because the bodys cells cant take it up and convert it into energy as
People of South Asian
normal. This can happen when the body doesnt produce enough insulin, origin are up to six times
a hormone that stimulates cells to take up glucose. It can also happen more likely to develop
because the bodys cells have become resistant to insulin. type 2 diabetes than the
UK white population.
There are two types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes usually happens before the age of 40 and is less
common. People with type 1 diabetes need regular insulin injections
to help control blood glucose levels.
Type 2 is more common and usually affects people over 40. In South Asian people, however, type
2 diabetes often occurs sooner from the age of 25. People with type 2 diabetes do not produce
enough insulin to control blood glucose levels or their bodies do not respond properly to insulin
(insulin resistance). It can be controlled through diet and lifestyle changes, although medication and
insulin injections may be needed in some cases.
Reduce your risk of diabetes or control your current condition by exercising daily,
shedding any excess weight and eating a healthy diet.
a heart-healthy lifestyle
The key to preventing heart disease is to adopt a healthy lifestyle - eat a heart -
healthy diet, exercise regularly and dont smoke.

healthy eating
Ingredients used in South Asian cooking, such as pulses, rice and vegetables are colourful and
versatile, as well as healthy and nutritious. Prepare and cook them carefully to keep your dishes
heart-healthy.

check your fats

We all need some fat in our diet, but its important that we choose the right type as eating too much
saturated fat and trans fats can raise cholesterol levels.

Type of fat The effect Where it is found What to do

Monounsaturated fats Can help to lower LDL Olive oil, rapeseed oil, Choose
without affecting HDL levels walnut oil, avocados

Polyunsaturated fats Lower LDL and HDL Sunflower oil, fish oil Limit
cholesterol

Saturated fats
Trans (hydrogenated) fats*
Increase total cholesterol Butter, cream, meat, lard, Avoid
and LDL cholesterol cheese, ghee, coconut and
palm oil
Increase LDL cholesterol and Processed foods (cakes, Avoid
decrease HDL cholesterol pastries, hard margarines)

*Trans fats are vegetable oils that have been produced artificially and are found in some processed foods.

fruit and veg feast

Fruit and vegetables provide
us with vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants and fibre, and are
great for protecting our heart and
arteries. Remember, fresh, frozen,
chilled, canned and dried fruit all
count towards your 5-a-day and the
more colours you use in your dishes
the greater variety of antioxidants
youll get.
Eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day:
add extra veg to your dishes like sweetcorn to aloo palak, carrots to aloo gobi or peas,
sweetcorn, carrots and green beans to your rice
serve up a salad with every meal and choose fresh fruit for a dessert
add some dried fruit or chopped banana to your breakfast cereal
whiz up your favourite fruit into a smoothie, try strawberries, bananas and mangos
choose fruit and vegetables as a snack instead of chocolate, crisps or chevra

fish matters
Eating oily fish two or more times a week can reduce the risk of heart disease. Oily fish such as
salmon, fresh tuna, sardines, mackerel and kippers contain omega-3 fats that help reduce blood
pressure, cholesterol levels, and protect against irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia) and blood clots
(thrombosis).
Boost your omega-3
use oily fish in curries and biryanis instead of white fish like cod
make your own salmon kebabs
mackerel or sardines on toast make a tasty snack
make tandoori fish with fresh tuna or salmon
vegetarian sources of omega-3 include rapeseed oil, flaxseed
and its oil, tofu, soya beans, avocados, walnuts and almonds

sneaky salt
Eating too much salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure (a risk factor for heart
disease). Three quarters of the salt we eat every day comes from processed foods. Things like
breakfast cereals, packet soups, samosas, bhajis and favourite snacks like chevda and sev can be
high in salt. For a healthy blood pressure and heart, eat less than 6 grams a day by keeping an
eye on food labels and dont add salt to your food.
Salt cutting tips
dont add salt when cooking, use herbs and spices instead
reduce the salt you use in your cooking gradually each week, so
family members dont notice the difference
remove salt from the dinner table to remove the temptation of
adding more
cut down on high salt foods such as cheese and processed meat, and
snacks like crisps, Bombay mix, chutneys, pickles and gathiya
check food labels for the salt content and choose foods that have
no added salt or are low in salt (less than 0.3g per 100g)
festivals and celebrations
Festivals are a great time to get together with family and
friends and celebrate. Whether its Diwali, Eid, Holi or
Vaisakhi, you can pay attention to your heart by preparing
your festival foods in a heart-healthy way. Festival favourites
like samosas, bhajis, jalebis, barfi and ladoos are high
in fat and sugar, which is bad news for your heart and
arteries. Eat less of them or cook them in a healthier way.

care for your heart

during fasting times
Fasting is a key part of many religions and cultures. During
Ramadan, when breaking the fast, keep to a balanced diet
to maintain a healthy heart and body. At Sudhoor/Sehri,
the meal before dawn, choose foods such as beans, lentils,
eggs, cereals and fruit, to keep your energy levels up for
longer. Dates and pure fruit juices will revitalise you and
count towards your 5-a-day.
Cut down on foods high in sugar and fat, replacing them
with baked or grilled alternatives.
Make a conscious effort to choose and prepare
the healthy options in advance to make your
meals heart-healthy.

cooking for a healthy heart

Making small changes to your cooking methods can make a big difference to
you and your familys heart and arteries.
red meat is high in saturated fat, go for lean cuts or cook with white meats chicken and turkey
(without skin) or fish
when making keema samosas use less meat but more vegetables. You can also use soya or
Quorn mince for a healthier change
bake or grill samosas instead of deep frying them
cook with rapeseed or olive oil instead of ghee or butter
use a non-stick pan and dry-fry whenever you can
choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk rather than whole milk
avoid using oil to prepare chapatti dough
use brown rice or a mixture of white and brown rice
swap paneer for firm tofu thats low in fat and contains omega-3
always steam your vegetables to preserve vitamins and minerals. When making aloo gobi,
steam the veg and add to the cooked masala, giving it a quick stir before serving
exercise
Regular exercise is an essential part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Doing an
activity that makes your heart beat faster and makes you feel slightly out of
breath for 30 minutes every day will reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes and
heart disease.

Regular exercise helps to

promote healthy cholesterol levels
lower high blood pressure
maintain a healthy weight
prevent blood clotting
control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes

You dont have to do your 30 minutes all at once,

three sessions of 10 minutes are just as good.

Here are a few ideas to get you and your heart going.
dancing is a great form of exercise so get
together with your family and friends and visit a
Bollywood dance class. If youre nervous about
dancing in front of a room full of strangers, put
on your favourite songs and dance away in the
comfort of your own home
start your day with a brisk walk or jog. You dont
need any special sports clothes, just a comfortable
pair of shoes
exercise classes like aerobics visit your local
leisure centre
ball games like football and cricket are great fun, so
get everyone involved
swimming
gardening
housework
jogging
smoking
If you smoke, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack as someone who
has never smoked.
Smoking rates are high in South Asian communities, which can lead to heart disease, cancer and
respiratory diseases. Smoking cigarettes, bidis, shisha or chewing tobacco in the form of tambaku
paan or gutkha significantly increases your risk of developing heart disease and affects those
around you.
There are thousands of chemicals in tobacco products, many of which can harm your heart. They
increase your blood pressure and heart rate, fur up your arteries, make your blood more likely to
clot and reduce your bloods oxygen-carrying capacity. Remember also that nicotine is addictive,
making it harder to give up.
Often seen as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, shishas are harmful to both your heart
and general health. Those who smoke shishas can inhale up to 200 times the amount of smoke
inhaled when smoking a cigarette.
Use occasions like birthdays, anniversaries or festivals such as Eid, Diwali and
Vaisakhi to quit smoking. Contact your local NHS stop smoking service for more
information and advice on successful quitting.

keep your
dil khush
Remember, your heart is amazing and it
works hard for you everyday. Reward it
by following a heart-healthy lifestyle to
keep it free from heart disease.
Healthy heart, happy life

Other leaflets available from HRUK:

healthy heart happy life stress
food for a healthy heart fats and the heart
high blood pressure smoking
cholesterol women and their hearts
exercise diabetes

Visit our website www.heartresearch.org.uk

Heart Research UK, Suite 12D, Josephs Well, Leeds LS3 1AB
T : 0113 234 7474 F : 0113 297 6208 E: lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk
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