Almost 95 per cent diseases caused by ''faulty lifestyle''

New Delhi, May 2: Almost 95 per cent of diseases all over the world are caused by a ''faulty lifestyle'' including inability to cope with stresses of daily life, negative competition, lack of productivity in the corporate world or, for that matter, a lack of exercise or no exercise, says a latest book on the effects of lifestyle on people's health.

According to Dr H K Chopra, Secretary of the Cardiological Society of India, following a ''faulty lifestyle'' which also includes eating the wrong food at the wrong time at the wrong place, in a wrong manner, in a wrong dose, in a wrong environment, excess consumption of alcohol and drugs and depression among human beings has today resulted in an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, also called the insulin-resistence Syndrome or New World Syndrome which is the cause of a majority of diseases.

In his book 'Dr H K Chopra's programme on lifestyle and health', Dr Chopra said individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome are at high risk of premature heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, hypertension and stroke or paralysis.

Dr Chopra, who is the chief cardiologist at the Moolchand Medcity, quotes his own data to say that 55 per cent of Indians are suffering from Metabolic Syndrome, characterised predominantly by pot belly of more than 32 inches in women and 36 inches in men, increased bad cholestrol. He also showed in his data that individuals suffering from metabolic syndrome are more vulnerable to have high Uric acid, polycystic ovaries and endothelial dysfunction.

However, he claims that optimisation of lifestyle by following his programme to establish a mind-body equilibrium may reduce the rising menace of disease in India in particular and the world in general.

In this context, Dr Chopra has suggested a formula for following an optimum lifestyle which includes regular exercise, walking, jogging, dancing, cycling, treadmill etc for at least half an hour every day. According to him, doing these heart friendly exercises give one a feeling of well-being by liberating endorphins and boosting serotonin levels.

Divided into 21 chapters including stress management, anger management, magic of laughter, reviving newness in you, power of meditation, healthy heart and art of love etc, Dr Chopra's book combines lifstyle management techniques with health tips which helps people cope with the stresses of modern-day life. Dr Chopra says practice of meditation for 20 minutes in the morning and evening invokes one's health potentials to achieve divinity and eternity on a daily basis.

Besides, an optimisation of lifestyle, Dr Chopra, quoting recommendations from the American heart association and the American institute of cardiology and European studies, opines that the time has come that we should act locally and create an impact globally by providing a 'polypill' containing aspirin, statin, beta-blocker, ramipiril to every individual after the age of 55, who is at high risk.

On the influence of lifestyle on one's health, he said that every affection of the mind - either pain or pleasure, hope or fear, loss or profit, promotion or demotion, causes agitation in the mind and influences not only the heart, but the whole body.

Referring to the relationship of faulty lifestyle with premature heart attack, he quoted Dr Dudley White Johnson, a famous cardiologist from the US who lived upto the age of 92, as having once said that ''anybody getting a heart attack below the age of 80 - it is his or her own fault, and after the age of 80, it is God's will''.

The book also mentions that repeated fits of anger increase the risk of premature heart attack by three-fold before the age of 55 and six times after the age of 55.

Published by Sterling publications Pvt Ltd, the book, which has been forwarded by eminent personalities like Dr Deepak Chopra, Dr Naresh Trehan, Dr S K Sama and Dr Ashok Seth. Released recently by Delhi health minister Yoganand Shastri, the book is being translated in 16 languages and is available all over the world.

UNI