Top Cardiac expert Dr Ramakant Panda's 4 tips to maintain a healthy heart, right lifestyle

The Nation on Friday, October 29, lost another gem Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar at the young age of 46. Puneeth Rajkumar who looked fit and fine and was in fact awaiting the release of his movies, suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest. The actor was rushed to the hospital but despite the best efforts of the medical professionals, he could not be saved. 

Puneeth Rajkumar's demise is a reminder for people that in modern times, heart ailments are not just confined to the aged but also the young. Thus, it is pertinent for each one of us to keep our hearts healthy. Acknowledging a sharp increase in heart attacks being reported amongst the youth, Dr. Ramakanta Panda, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Asia Heart Institute (AHI) in Mumbai, in an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network on Friday, cited 'change in lifestyle'. 

A Padma Bhushan Awardee and known as one of the best heart surgeons in India, Dr. Panda listed down ways to save your heart from the repercussions of a change in lifestyle. 

Ways to keep your heart healthy

• Eat Healthy

As per Dr. Panda, the way to keep your heart healthy is to eat healthy. The bad food habits of youngsters, as per the cardiac surgeon, is a reason why they are at risk of a heart attack. Drawing a sharp contrast with the food habits of our forefathers, Dr. Panda asserted that people today are continuously consuming artificial food, which is hard to digest and has an adverse effect on human hearts. The food consumed by our forefathers, on the other hand, was easy for the body to adjust to and therefore, their hearts were healthier than the people of today.

• Sleep early, and at least for 6-7 hours 

As per Dr. Panda, an improper sleep cycle has an adverse impact on your heart, and therefore one should try to sleep early and for an adequate number of hours; preferably six to seven hours. 

• Moderate level of exercise

As per Dr. Panda, one should resort to a moderate level of exercise. Dr. Panda pointed out that being inactive as well as being too active, both have their own problems. To avoid that, a moderate exercise pattern should be chosen; warm-up for 5-10 minutes, exercise for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on how frequent you are at exercising), and then cooling down of the body for another 5-10 minutes.

• Monitor sugar and blood pressure

Also, as per Dr. Panda, one should keep track of the sugar and blood pressure level, especially when there is a history. Calling them 'silent killers', the cardiac surgeon added that fluctuating sugar and BP levels can only lead to heart attack, no matter what the age. 

Image: Shutterstock, Republic World