Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death due to non-communicable diseases all over the world. CVD includes heart attack and stroke, which has emerged as the largest pandemic with even greater mortality than COVID. The only difference is that COVID is transmissible, CVD isn't.

Conventional risk factors for CVD are old age, hypertension (high BP), diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol), smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, stress and family history of CVD. Fortunately, many of these factors are modifiable i.e. " YOUR HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS"

There are  lot of misconceptions or frequently asked questions in general population regarding heart disease and its risk factors. This health article is an attempt to address a few such concerns.

Are cardiac arrest and heart attack the same?

Many of us have this misconstrued concept that cardiac arrest and heart attack are the same. This is in fact a huge misconception. They are not the same. By definition, cardiac arrest literally means stopping of heart which is the definition of death. In other words, every person dies of cardiac arrest. That in itself does not imply a heart attack. Heart attack is just one of the causes of cardiac arrest.

Is Hypertension (High BP) / Diabetes / High Cholesterol (Dyslipidemia) curable?

The answer is straightforward. NO. Majority of these cases are hereditary. So, they can be treated and controlled, but not cured. > 90% cases run in families and pass through generations. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, junk food and stress are just triggers for these diseases and not the root causes. If you are born with the gene for hypertension or diabetes or high cholesterol, then you are bound to get it sometime in your life. If you keep ideal lifestyle, you can delay the onset.

Do I need lifelong medicines?

For most cases, the medicines are needed lifelong. At initial stages, these diseases can be managed with lifestyle modification alone, but eventually you need medicines in addition to lifestyle modifications. Remember, main treatment is lifestyle changes. Do not hesitate to take medicines if required. Your goal should be to keep your parameters in control and not to stop medicines. Focus on the benefits of medicines and not on minor side effects. Remember, the danger of uncontrolled BP, sugar and cholesterol is way greater than the side effects of medicines. The medicines are very safe and if we weigh the risk benefit ratio, the benefits of medicines outrank the risks by a huge margin. In short, focus on 99.9% benefits rather than 0.1% side effects. If you have any concerns about medicines, discuss only with your doctor and not with google or lay people. Do not modify or stop medicines without doctor's advice.

Do I still need medicines even if I have no symptoms?

YES. The decision of starting treatment does not depend upon your symptoms. Unfortunately, high BP , high sugar and high cholesterol have no symptoms in majority patients and they are diagnosed only when they lead complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure etc. That is why they are called SILENT KILLERS. Thus, active screening for these diseases is required after 40 years of age or earlier if you have family history or any symptoms. In short, you should take medicines as advised by your doctor irrespective of symptoms.

Does every high cholesterol patient need medicines?

NO. Unnecessary medicines are discouraged. The decision does not only depend upon the cholesterol values in the report, but it also depends upon your overall risk profile which takes your age, gender, race, BP, sugar, smoking status and your lipid profile report into consideration. The medicines are recommended only to high risk cases by the doctors. The rest can be managed on lifestyle modifications alone.

What lifestyle modifications are necessary ?

  • Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week which includes either brisk walk or jogging or cycling or swimming or hiking
  • Keep your weight under control to keep BMI (Body Mass Index) < 25
  • Avoid junk food, processed food, saturated fats, high salt and sugar intake
  • Have high fiber diet
  • Avoid alcohol and smoking

Take home message: 

  • Prevention is better than Cure 
  • Symptoms do not decide treatment, doctors do
  • Do not decide or modify treatment on your own
  • Do not take unnecessary medicines without doctor's advice
  • Do investigations only suggested by your doctor
  • Lifestyle modification is the main treatment for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease

Disclaimer: The content (video/text) presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.