Apollo Heart Centre launches Well Being Series

Kolkata, Feb 04: Apollo Gleneagles Heart Centre has launched the Well Being Series, an ongoing interactive session on topics of interest for those suffering from various chronic ailments in India and those trying to treat them.

The Well Being Series,to be held in Kolkata on the first Saturday of every month, is a wellness campaign started by the Centre to bring about general awareness among people of all age groups, vulnerable to various kinds of diseases.

They are to deal with various topics in these sessions.

In the inaugural session held yesterday, they dealt with the two most common, yet critical ailments of the human body -- diabetes and heart diseases.

Speaking on the occassion, Cardiologist Dr Debashish Ghosh and Diabetologist Dr Sanjay Chatterjee emphasised on Smart Lifestyle and Comprehensive Healthcare Plan, which will enable patients to avoid heart attacks and other heart ailments.

Dr Ghosh addressed the risk factor that Indians are increasingly facing these days. He pointed out that women run a greater risk of suffering from heart attack than men by five per cent.

''Diabetes increase the chances of suffering a heart attack by about 2.5 per cent and tobacco increases the risk by four per cent.

If a person is both diabetic and a smoker, he runs an even greater risk. Even if he quits, his body will take five years to return to the non-smoking condition,'' he further added.

Dr Ghosh elaborated on the current lifestyle trend among today's youth, saying that severe lack of activity and intake of 'junk' food has increased the rate of ''central obesity''.

Central Obesity is a condition where a person may, in general, be thin, yet have a 'pot belly' and rounded face with excessive fat deposition, particularly in the central portions of the body. He attributed the increased rate of heart attack cases in the recent years to this defective lifestyle pattern.

He also emphasised on a ''global risk prevention'' for a successful combat against heart diseases. He said the risk of suffering a heart attack can be minimised only if a person averts all kinds of risks, which include a chain of lifestyle changes.

It requires a smoker to quit, a drinker to stop drinking, regularise food habits, timely eating and eating wisely, avoid fatty and oily food items, regular exercise and excess weight loss, less intake of salt, and maintain a balance between work and recreation.

It is also necessary for him to visit a physian on a regular basis.

The Well Being programme, to be held continually by Apollo Gleneagles Hospital is expected to help patients and their family members deal with various kinds of physical conditions by becoming more aware of the risks involved and lead a much healthier life.

UNI