Toeing the theme of World Heart Day 2022 –’ Cardiovascular Health for Everyone,’ India is taking Heart2Heart Challenge for a healthy heart – a unique physical activity campaign to inculcate the healthy habit of checking whether one’s heart is healthy or not by climbing four floors (60 steps).
A study published in Rev Esp Cardiol reveals that by climbing stairs, one can check the condition of one’s heart. As per the study, a person can climb sixty steps in a minute and a half, which indicates a healthy heart.
“Although advances in care have spurred improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally. Of these deaths, 85 per cent are due to heart attack and stroke. Preventive measures are quite effective in curbing the rising incidence of CVDs, including physical activities, playing a pivotal role in keeping the heart healthy. And of many physical activities, stair-climbing, whether vigorous or moderate, provides significant cardiovascular and muscular benefits, as proven by a study done at McMaster University. During the research, it was found that even in a short period, whether it was moderate intensity, continuous training or high-intensity stair climbing, there were beneficial adaptations in muscles after a cardiac procedure,” said Dr (Prof) S C Manchanda, Padma Shree Awardee, Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.
“The severity of heart diseases in India is at an all-time high and has been increasing as India will have the notorious distinction of recording the highest number of cardiac deaths by 2030 in the world, with virtually every fourth death occurring due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). And if we talk about Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), 42 per cent of Indians don’t know they have hypertension. And 50 per cent of CVDs-related deaths occur in people less than 50 years of age. At the same time, the younger Indians have a ten times higher heart attack rate. For certain heart conditions, exercise can be as powerful as some medications. Of many forms of exercise, climbing stairs has been a scientifically proven exercise, which is a simple and free test of one’s heart health,” said Dr Vinod Sharma, Vice Chief Executive Officer & Head of Cardiology Services, National Heart Institute, New Delhi.
