Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: “You are what you eat is a popular saying. If literally interpreted it suggests linkage between our temperament and nature based on the kind of food that we consume. However, purposive interpretation suggests how food is directly involved in many of the risk factors for developing various morbidities in human body. Food related risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes and a diet high in saturated fats. So paying attention to what we eat is one of the most preventative measure we can take to delay the onset of aforesaid morbidities,” said Dr. Sushil Sharma HoD Cardiology GMC Jammu on the sidelines of a health check up cum awareness camp in Mussa Chak village of R S Pura area.
More than 300 patients were examined, evaluated and advised during the camp. ECG, Blood Sugar and lipid profiling was done and medicines were given as per the requirements.
During his interaction, Dr Sharma highlighted that diet is an important risk factor in developing Cardiovascular Diseases. “Coronary heart disease is characterised by a narrowing of the arteries. Fatty deposits cling to the artery walls and can clog the arteries, making it more likely that a blood clot will form. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks one of the arteries of the heart. Number of factors is associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, including cigarette smoking, lack of physical activity, type of food eaten, high blood pressure, age and a family history of the disease. Besides age and family history, all other factors are preventable in nature,” he said.
It is however unfortunate to note that people across various social and economic spectrums are unaware about the quality of food they are consuming, Dr Sharma said adding most notably, people from rural areas show much dependence on milk products and saturated fats.
“It has been observed that saturated and trans fats increase blood cholesterol and heart attack rates while polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats lower the risk of heart attacks. There is no ‘magic’ food to decrease the risk of developing heart disease. High-salt diets increase blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most of us consume more than ten times the amount of salt we need to meet our sodium requirements. However, there is evidence that plant foods – especially wholegrain cereals, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables – may decrease the risk of heart disease,” Dr Sharma said.
Others, who were part of this campaign include, Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Dr. Dhaneshwer Kapoor and Dr. Syed Rahella. Paramedics and volunteers include Raghav Rajput, Mohd Altaf, Gourav Heera, Vikas Kumar, Sandeep Kohli, Anmol Singh, Aman Gupta, Rajesh Suri , Sushil Singh Jamwal, Akshay Kumar and Raj Kumar.
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