health
from the heart doc
Stay Connected to Heal Your Heart
Re-organise your life to cut stress and improve your cardiac health
That stress can affect
health and well-being has
been understood by people for
millennia. However, there are
very few studies in this era of
Dr Vikas
Saini is a clinical ‘scientific medicine’, that con-
cardiologist and firm the profound impact that
researcher at Harvard our emotional life and social
Medical School and
Harvard School of relationships have on us. At
Public Health. He is the Lown Centre we have had
president of the Lown
a longstanding interest in this
Cardiovascular
Research Foundation topic. Indeed, our founder and
in Boston. Write to my mentor, Dr Bernard Lown,
him at vikas.s@
preventionindia.com
is one of those who made
seminal contributions to this
field in the 20th century,
particularly by showing
that psychological stress
increases the risk
of fatal arrhyth-
mia, a disorder of
heart rate. More
recently, the
large interna-
tional INTER-
HEART study
found that all over
the world, answers
to four simple ques-
tions could signifi-
cantly predict the onset
of a heart attack. These
covered stress at work,
stress at home, depression
and locus of control (one’s
sense of control over job
000 ■ prevention
health
How Reducing
Stress Works
In Sweden, a randomised trial of
women coronary patients for a
factors and life situations). stress reduction programme of 1
The result was comparable to year, resulted in 7% mortality after
nine years compared with 20% in
that from hypertension and
the control group. Last month,
abdominal obesity. a study showed that meditation
Many factors are responsible reduced the risk of death, heart
for this phenomenon. Changes attack and stroke by 40% over five
in nervous system traffic to the years in patients with proven cor-
heart and alterations in various onary heart disease. These small
studies are among the first to show
protective cardiac reflexes, is
one aspect. Then there is grow- that stress reduction can make a big
difference. However, more research
ing evidence that inflamma-
needs to be done before cardiolo-
tion, which increases cardiac gists accept these findings.
risk, is also increased by stress
reactions and the risk further
increases with age. Indeed, raising stress further. And of networked society and culture,
remarkable new data sug- course, the pain of recurring but the challenge is to maintain
gests that the nervous system economic cycles and the stress this while adopting some ben-
directly signals immune cells of financial losses or insecurity efits from the western model.
and so alters immune function seem inevitable with unregu- n Always set aside some time
and inflammation. However, lated capitalism. for quiet meditation to reduce
this is a woefully under- n Take time out for exercise stress,
researched area. Effect of Stress on too, this improves resilience talk to a
the Heart and reduces mental tension confidante
Sources of Stress In our clinic, we have found n Yoga can improve both men- about your
The biggest source of stress that persistent anxiety is a big tal and physical well-being problems
comes from our social life and risk factor. A strong, confident n Having someone to talk to and tensions
jobs. In India now, the fray- relationship with the doctor is about problems and tensions,
ing of family ties across and a key element in reducing anxi- is extremely important
between generations, and the ety in case of a heart condition. n Get regular sleep
sense of isolation of the nuclear n Take vacations away from a
It Stock International Ltd.
family are likely contributors. Tips to Reduce Stress difficult job
Job stress, coupled with a car While stresses, challenges n Fostering an ethic that the
culture, not only reduces the and bereavement are a part of ‘pursuit of material wealth
opportunity for exercise but human life, staying connected is not worthwhile at the cost
also generates serious frustra- provides natural protection. of health’ can help in dealing
bSK
tion from driving and traffic, India is blessed with a highly with financial crises. ��
february 2010 february 2010 prevention ■ 000