Daily habits matter, as their effect on your health add up over time. Your heart is one such vital organ influenced by your lifestyle, from what you eat and how much you move to how well you sleep and manage stress. Caring for it begins with small, intentional health choices that support your health in the long run.
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This means taking a step back to assess your routine and identify unhealthy eating habits, substance abuse, irregular sleep schedules, and long periods of sitting, all of which can contribute to your risk of heart disease.
An expert provided clarity by spotlighting the habits that support heart health. Emphasising the scale of the problem, pathologist Dr Ramesh Kinha, COO at Thyrocare, said, “Heart disease claims more than 20 million lives each year, as per the World Heart Federation. The signs or symptoms of heart disease are often unnoticed or overlooked, and nearly 80 percent of CVD-related deaths are the result of risk factors that are manageable or preventable.”
Addressing modifiable risk factors through healthier daily habits and timely screening can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Drawing on his experience in pathology and diagnostics, the expert revealed the alarming trend among young adults: “Cardiovascular disease was once considered a condition of advancing age, but that assumption no longer holds. We are increasingly seeing lipid abnormalities, elevated inflammatory markers, and early signs of metabolic dysfunction in patients in their 20s and 30s.”
Lifestyle habits act as a contributing factor and emphasise the importance of early screening, even for people in their 20s and 30s, as heart disease is not limited to middle-aged or older adults. The expert confirmed that a healthy heart requires a healthy lifestyle: “A healthy heart is not built overnight — it is shaped through consistent, everyday choices, reinforced by preventive care and timely screening.”
Here are some of the healthy habits he recommended:
1. Eat a balanced diet
- Get blood pressure checked regularly, as high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Have lipid profile tests as advised by your doctor to monitor cholesterol levels.
- Get screened for diabetes and keep blood sugar levels under control, as high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves controlling the heart.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
