Extreme heat can lead to heart attack? Science says ‘yes’

CHENNAI: Hours after the sudden demise of singer Krishnakumar Kunnath due to cardiac arrest, a behind the scene video of singer complaining the rise of heat in the concert that surfaced on the internet, puzzled netizens whether there is an impact of rise in temperature on heart.

To which, science says a definite yes. "Anyone can suffer heat stroke, but people with heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases are at greater risk. If you have heart disease, your heart may not be able to work harder in the heat to maintain cooler body temperatures,” experts say.

During summer the body temperature rises when you move to, or travel to, a hot climate and your heart beats faster and work harder to pump blood to the surface of your skin to assist with sweating to cool your body. If your body can’t cool itself enough, strain is put on the heart, and organs can begin to suffer damage - a potentially fatal condition known as heat stroke.

Here are few tips to control this:

Stay hydrated

• Drinking enough amount of water could tackle the rise of heat as well as heart stroke as it gives body the required minerals which could be lost due to excessive sweating.

Get into physical activity for at least 30 to 60 minutes

• 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise and 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic disease lowers the risk of heart disease and also helps to balance the weight.

Practice a healthy balanced diet

• Eating a healthy diet consisting of Vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and healthy fats could help protecting the heart, maintaining a normal blood pressure and most importantly, reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes.

Get good quality sleep

• Make sleep a priority by maintaining a schedule for going to bed and waking up is one of the easiest ways to follow. Researchers say that getting ample amount of sleep could reduce the greater risks of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and hypertension.

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