*A chat with Dr. Devi Shetty, - as received

*A chat with Dr. Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Famous Heart Specialist) Bangalore, was arranged by WIPRO for its employees. The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.* *Qn1.* What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart? *Ans:* 1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil 2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; 3. Quit smoking 4. Control weight 5. Control BP - Blood pressure and Sugar *Qn2.* Can we convert fat into muscles? *Ans:* It is a dangerous myth. Fat and muscles are made of two different tissues, fat is fat ... Ugly and harmful... Muscle is muscle. Fat can never be converted into a muscle. *Qn3.* It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective? *Ans:* This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups. *Qn4.* Are heart diseases hereditary? Ans: Yes. *Qn5.* What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress? *Ans:* Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life. *Qn6.* Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart? *Ans:* Walking is better than jogging, since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints. *Qn7.* You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so? *Ans:* *MOTHER THERESA*, who was my patient. *Qn8.* Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases? *Ans:* Extremely rare. *Qn9.* Does cholesterol accumulate right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age? *Ans:* Cholesterol accumulates from childhood. *Qn10.* How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ? *Ans:* You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused. *Qn11.* How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines? *Ans:* Control diet, walk and eat walnut. *Qn12.* Which is the best and worst food for the heart? *Ans:* Fruits and vegetables are the best and oil is the worst. *Qn13.* Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive? *Ans:* Oils do no good for humans. *Qn14.* What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test? Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo. *Qn15.* What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack? *Ans:* Help the person into a sleeping position, place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit, since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour. *Qn17.* What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems. *Ans*: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.