Lifestyle changes crucial to improve heart health: TN health authority

CHENNAI: As the incidence of heart disease is increasing, especially among the youngsters, the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr TS Selvavinayagam, opined that how cardiac issues could be avoided by lifestyle modifications.

High BP, diabetes, improper diet, lack of exercise, stress and smoking are the major risk factors for heart disease, he said.

Heart attacks, strokes and coronary heart disease are among the most common causes of death from cardiovascular disorders. Emphasizing the risk of cardiac issues due to several lifestyle factors on World Heart Day, Selvavinayagam said: “This year’s theme is ‘Act with Heart’, which means that heart disease can be avoided if we improve our lifestyle by eliminating the risk factors for our heart. The department aims to identify the main factors that cause heart disease at an early stage and control it.”

The DPH has been taking various measures such as screening under the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam and Idhayam Kappom Thittam schemes, and also conduct health walks. “Under MTM, we do screening for high BP and diabetes. To screen heart diseases at an early stage and prevent fatality, IKT has been started in all sub-health centres and primary health centres across Tamil Nadu. Patients presenting with symptoms of heart disease are diagnosed and drugs are given as per the advice of a specialist doctor,” he pointed out.

Until September 22, more than 10,400 persons in PHC and 613 in sub-health centres have benefited through this scheme.

The State Health Department has also identified 8-km health walk spaces in all the districts. It’s being implemented as a scheme to encourage the public to take up walking to counter sedentary lifestyle; 50,000 people have benefitted from the same. Additionally, the National Tobacco Control Programme is functioning in all GHs across districts.