"The middle class is more prone to heart attacks"

ONCE known as a disease of the rich, heart disease and high blood pressure are no longer confined to any particular strata in society. It strikes ruthlessly irrespective of the social structure and has over the years accounted for more deaths and disability in the adult and elderly population in the country.

"Curative treatment for heart ailments is prohibitively costly and beyond the reach of most of the families, and even the state budget," says eminent cardiologist, Dr (Prof) Harbans Wasir, who has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan this year on the eve of Republic Day.

For over three decades now, Dr Wasir has treated several hundreds of people first at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences and now at Batra Hospital in New Delhi.

Dr Wasir is of the opinion that change in lifestyle, lack of exercise, irregular habits and stress in modernday has done more to contribute to the disease which can be prevented by adopting healthy habits and relaxation techniques.

In an exclusive interview with K. V. Prasad, Dr Wasir, the specialist who has the distinction of having attended to some of the top leaders of the country shares his thoughts and contribution towards spreading awareness of a disease that can be fatal. It meant writing nearly 400 research papers, seven books, including one in Punjabi and Hindi, and public lectures. Excerpts:

You have been advocating prevention of heart disease and checking high blood pressure, and spreading awareness on the subject. What motivates you ?

Prevention has been said to be better than cure because curative treatment is more costly and this is certainly true for heart diseases. Promotive health is still a step ahead in prevention, it prepares the body against getting a disease through practice of healthy lifestyles.

How can the disease be prevented ?

There are some known fac-tors where persons are more prone to heart attacks or have greater risks which are triggered by smoking, obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, lack of exercise and mental tension.

Do these diseases have more to do with lifestyle or do they afflict any class in particular ?

There was a time when only the affluent used to get heart attacks and were prone to high blood pressure but that has been reversed. Now even those whose socio-economic condition is not so high are victims because of their ignorance, smoking and eating habits. The more affluent are aware of the risk factors and take preventive steps.

For instance, the intake of diet in modern day families, especially the working class, has undergone a change as compared with the wealthy. Low fibre diet and junk food is being increasingly consumed by the middle class and the less rich. They are more vulnerable to heart attacks and this obvious discrepancy is a paradox as the rich have started regulating their lifestyles.

Apart from adopting a healthly lifestyle, do you see benefits from yoga, or even modern concepts like Reiki and meditation ?

Yoga is certainly beneficial. It is a way of mental relaxation. Similarly some people are also going in for Reiki and other relaxation techniques.

Do you think that modern allopathic treatment can be combined with traditional techniques like Yoga asanas for greater benefits ?

Traditional wisdom is benificial when combined with modern medicine to provide holisitic treatment and for general well-being. In fact, I have written a paper entitled Heart to Heart - A Holisitic approach to Heart Care and another called "Traditional wisdom and Heart Care. One of them has been published in Hindi (Haardik Samvad) and the other in Punjabi (Dil T’no Dil’an Lei).

You have also been advocating the need for discipline and tolerance. How does it prove beneficial in matters of heart?

We simply lack discipline and tolerance in all spheres, including our body care. For instance when you are eating, if you get worked up or get provoked during eating, it affects digestion. Similarly, while driving if someone overtakes your vehicle, it pumps up your blood pressure and sets in negative thoughts.

According to ancient texts, even the wholesome food also taken in propery quantity, does not get digested due to anxiety, grief, fear, anger, uncomfortable bed and vigil.