Blog# 10

Heart Disease and Potential Risk Factors:

There are no cases of any kind of casualties or diseases related to heart in my family’s medical history. However, my family members are aware of potential risk factors related to heart disease and its consequences. Heart disease is a deadly disease and millions of people die each year from this disease. There are various risk factors related to heart disease. Some factors are not under our control such as heredity related problems. However, some factors could be controlled such as environmental aspects, cultural, socio economical and educational. Urban areas such as big cities produce tons of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen, which directly affect the quality of air we breathe. Some chemicals such as lead and carbon monoxide are responsible for decreasing the oxygen carrying capacity of blood and affect the quality of our heart. Second hand smoking that is also called “ETS” (environmental tobacco smoke) is also an environmental factor that affects our heart and its functions. Culture is another factor which impacts the prevalence if this disease. Cultural beliefs are also among the important factors that impact the prevalence of cardio related disease. There are many cultures all around the world that practice unhealthy behaviors, which might contribute to increase the risk of heart related diseases. Cultural norms and values are sometimes labeled as risk factors which might help developing heart related diseases such as; hypertension, stroke, heart attacks. Cultures also directly influence the way we eat and exercise. Almost all cultures have their own dietary guidelines and unhealthy diets are the main cause of heart diseases. For an example; there are certain tribes in Nepal who smoke and drink a lot. Their diet contains lot of fats and oils, which might increase the cholesterol level of our body. These tribes also smoke home made cigars and “ Hookah” (a form of smoke) and they practice these unhealthy behaviors as a part of their cultural perspectives, which increase the risks of heart diseases. People’s unhealthy behavior such as a lack of exercise is also a risk factor related to heart disease. If you don’t exercise and spend your time sitting on a couch watching television, you are most likely to suffer from obesity and cardio related diseases. So, exercise plays a vital role, which helps our heart to remain healthy and function properly. Education is an essential part of our life because it helps us to make a good and a healthy choice in our daily lifestyle. Education helps us to know the risk factors that impact our heart and its functions. Education helps people to recognize the potential risk factors associated with a diet choice and heart related disease.

Shisheer Guragain