Guardians of Heart campaign launched in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Manipal Hospitals on Friday announced the launch of World Heart Day campaign 'Guardians of Heart', the campaign aimed to motivate, educate and inspire common man from all walks of life to become Heart Smart, thereby, contributing to the vision of a healthy nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, Hospital Director said they have been in the forefront in creating awareness on major lifestyle diseases. Considering the growing incidence and higher morbidity of heart failure patients, there is a need for dedicated heart failure programmes that provide end-to-end and comprehensive treatment for all phases of heart diseases.

Dr Murali Krishna N, senior consultant, cardiology, said that heart failures were common across all age groups including people in their 30s or 40s. Primary reason is stress, lack of exercise and unhealthy food habits apart from excessive smoking and drinking.

"Compared to the West, Indians experience heart failures early and therefore I recommend modifying lifestyle at a young age. Keeping cholesterol levels under check and undergoing regular health checks are key to a quality life.

India is currently witnessing nearly 2 million heart attacks a year and majority of the victims are youngsters, which is not a healthy trend. Current projections are a wake up call for all of us towards adopting a healthy lifestyle," he added.