Daily walks can help reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases, say specialists

Heart specialists from Naruvi Hospital, Vellore, underlined the need for walking daily for a healthy heart during a webinar on ‘Bypass Surgery, What One Needs to Understand’ on Sunday.

According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in August 2023, an increase of 500 to 1,000 steps a day is associated with 15% reduction in risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“The simple exercise of walking 6,000 steps a day five times a week flattens the curve of any disease,” said Jacob Jose, Medical Superintendent and senior consultant cardiologist at Naruvi Hospital. He was one of the panellists at The Hindu Wellness webinar, along with Ray George, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, and Vinayak Shukla, senior consultant.

The only time a person should not walk, Dr. Shukla emphasised, was when he/she gets chest pain or has some discomfort. “In such a situation, the person should be made to sit or lie down immediately, take deep breaths, cough, and allow the traumatised heart to relax first before moving again.”

Citing the Global Burden of Disease Study (1990-2016) on changing pattern of CVD and their risk factors in States of India, Dr. Jose mentioned that CVD was the most common cause of mortality in India and accounted for one-third of certified deaths. The five risk factors, identified as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, and obesity, have to be recognised and managed for improvement in prevention of heart diseases and therapy, he said.

The doctors discussed the pros and cons of various surgical options, from bypass surgery and stenting to minimally invasive and robotic surgeries for treating coronary artery disease.

Dr. Shukla said people had become quite health conscious, and, given today’s medical advancements, there are several options. “But each case is decided on its merit, even as bypass surgery has emerged as the second commonest operation done in the country,” he added. 

Bypass surgery has a 98% success rate and benefits patients with reduced heart pumping function, having multiple blocks and other complex diseases, or diabetes, Dr. Ray said. The recovery is quick and smooth, he added. But people should understand that heart diseases are age-related and you cannot stop the clock on ageing. The only way to slow down the process is by making conscious lifestyle changes, the doctors said.