Three conditions have long been established as fatal to the well-being of our hearts-high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. And yet in a country whose people are among other South Asians predicted by the World Health Organization to have a 40 per cent higher chance of having heart attacks than in the West, the lifestyle choices perplex medical experts. Popular food delivery apps Swiggy and Zomato, for example, delivered a whopping 12 million samosas in the past year alone, two biryanis per second and over 200,000 cheese dips-all high in saturated fat, salt and simple carbohydrates (which ultimately get converted to sugar in our bodies).
Worse, urban Indians are walking less, taking on more stress and breathing in more polluted air, which means the age at which cardiac conditions appear has come down. That in itself does not surprise doctors. What surprises them is how dissociated we have become with our bodies-ignoring signs, risk factors and even symptoms, till it is too late. This when early detection and diagnosis of heart ailments has undergone a sea change, as has treatment, with a range of newer chemicals as well as surgical techniques that can handle the most extreme of cases, which once we would have given up on.
This story is from the June 27, 2022 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 27, 2022 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BACK IN ACTION
Besides making a thrilling comeback with Tipppsy, Deepak Tijori is working on pushing the boundaries with new projects
THE POWER OF PATIENCE
A steady approach has helped badminton player Lakshya Sen secure a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics
Great Balls of Fire
The sport of PICKLEBALL is set to get a boost in India with the launch of the World Pickleball League here
Man of Many Ideas
Vanya Vaidehi Bhargav questions simplistic notions of Lala Lajpat Rai's politics in this well-researched book
THE HINDU NATIONALIST
Janaki Bakhle's Savarkar and the Making of Hindutva is a deep dive into the creation of the ideologue
LOVE CONQUERS
IKKA's third album Only Love Gets Reply brings together bigwigs like Diljit Dosanjh, Badshah and Karan Aujla, among others
The Great Indian Village
Everyone's favourite OTT show, Panchayat, is back for a third season on Amazon Prime Video. Expect a lot of laughs
VISUAL CONSTRUCTS
CLASSICS OF MODERN SOUTH ASIAN ARCHITECTURE ARE PORTRAYED IN THESE VOLUMES
TROPICAL TROPES
Tropical Modernism, an exhibition at the V&A, London, looks at the adoption of this architectural style in post-independence India and Ghana
INDIAN ARMY FACES THE GORKHA QUESTION
THE PANDEMIC AND NEPAL'S OPPOSITION TO THE AGNIPATH SCHEME HAVE STALLED GORKHA RECRUITMENT IN THE INDIAN ARMY. THEIR FALLING NUMBERS ARE A STRATEGIC CONCERN FOR INDIA, PARTICULARLY AMIDST RISING SPECULATION ABOUT CHINESE PLANS TO INDUCT THE LEGENDARY SOLDIERS