My Heart, My Health
“I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine.”?- Neil Armstrong
The heart is an organ you say. But the heart is also how we feel, and enough research has proven that?stress can trigger hypertension, stroke and heart attacks.?Your heart beats for you, to keep you alive.?This?May,?as we mark?World Hypertension Day on May 17,?understand how to lower your hypertension?via research backed strategies,?so that your?heart?can?remain calm and unhurried.
Hypertension or?high blood pressure means the pressure inside your blood vessels (called arteries) becomes too high, making your heart pump against this pressure.?When we’re?stressed, our blood pressure rises.?To release?this,?the heart?must?work harder.?A?continuous cycle of?daily?stress triggers?continues?hypertension, and heart muscles begin to thicken, making each heartbeat laboured, faster,?exhausting the heart. The beautiful rhythm of the heartbeat becomes frenzied, hurried, and over time, it collapses prematurely, triggering a cardiac event.
Everything can change in a heartbeat.
Cardiovascular disease?(CVD)?is the number one killer globally.?Managing stress and calming response to triggers means protecting your heart, health and life. If you have hypertension,?you may be going for a?daily?walk, lower salt?and pop?BP tablets.?But research proves?yoga reduces and reverses hypertension much faster.?Incorporate?a?calming yogic schedule in your life?to slow down your breath?like Neil Armstrong said, because each slow breath elongates lifespan. My personal resting heart rate is 58, aim for that with a slower breathing process through?mindfulness breathing?which has been evidenced to make “sustained reductions in blood pressure?to?reduce risks of stroke and heart attacks,” as per research. At?Unhurry?, we’re all about bringing you?science backed data for mind body connect so you can live a higher quality of life.
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This May also marks World No Tobacco Day on May 31st.?We associate tobacco with?a?looming spectre of physical ailments,?like?cancer and heart disease. But there’s a quieter, insidious battle being fought within the realms of the mind.?Smoking is difficult to quit and there’s no harm in reaching for help. We bring you?ways to quit smoking?via simple steps to make your mind stronger than the urge.?It takes?5 to 10 years, and perhaps up to 25 years after quitting smoking, for?CVD risk to?decrease?as low as that of a similar person who never smoked.?So today is a good day to quit. Another reason to quit is the rising number of cancer cases – I have a conference coming up in Boston later this year where I will be speaking on oral cancers associated with tobacco.?The prognosis is poor and prevention is?a smarter way to not suffer the trauma of cancer.
In May,?let’s?also?take a moment to thank our unsung paramedic heroes.?As we celebrate May 12 as International Nurses Day,?we know?they are the?backbone of every hospital.?A safe working environment for nurses is also a safe environment for the patients in their care,?according to a new study. Paediatric?nurses play?a key role in?preventing post-traumatic stress in injured children.?
I sign off?with?a gentle reminder to make your mom feel special on Mother’s Day, May 12.?God couldn’t?be everywhere,?so?he made?moms.?Maa, mamma,?mai?-?when yours yells at you, go give her a hug. She needs it most when she’s upset.?Because underneath that anger, is the frustration of not being able to love?and protect?you more.
Warmly,
Dr Rachna Chhachhi, PhD
Managing Editor
Unhurry?
?PS:?Keep your emails and feedback coming via?[email protected]. And if you would like to write on health, we support and publish inspirational personal journeys or professional expertise on mind body healing.?
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Yoga can help increase flexibility and balance, but the ancient practice could have another benefit: helping to lower high blood pressure. Researchers recruited 60 people diagnosed with high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that raises the risk of heart problems and stroke.
In some instances, mindfulness includes paced breathing defined as deep and diaphragmatic with slow rates typically about five to seven per minute compared with the usual rate of 12 to 14. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators have published a paper in the journal Medical Hypotheses, exploring the possibility that mindfulness with paced breathing reduces blood pressure.
Women who eat bananas, avocados and salmon could reduce the negative effects of salt in the diet, according to a study published today in European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 The study found that potassium-rich diets were associated with lower blood pressure, particularly in women with high salt intake.
If you think you look cool with that e-cigarette or vaping, you may be in for a reboot. Concerns about the addictive nature of e-cigarettes increases risks for heart attack, coronary artery disease and depression compared with those who don’t use them or any tobacco products.
Everyone who smokes knows that smoking is not good for them, yet they do it. There is a reason for this – smoking and mental health are connected. People who smoke or chew tobacco have linkages with anxiety, stress and depression as per research at Purdue, WHO, Hebrew University and Mental Health Foundation UK. And that is why they turn to tobacco for enhanced moods, or simply gaining confidence to be able to face the world.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, United Kingdom, stopping smoking suddenly through willpower alone is the least effective way to quit. If one plans, has support, and chooses the right time to try, they are more likely to be successful. If one is feeling unstable, experiencing a crisis, or undergoing significant changes in their life, they are less likely to quit, says the Foundation.
A safe working environment for nurses is also a safe environment for the patients in their care, according to a new study led by public health researchers at Drexel University. Researchers, led by Dr. Jennifer Taylor, an assistant professor in Drexel’s School of Public Health, found that safety climate was associated with both patient and nurse injuries, suggesting that patient and nurse safety may be linked outcomes. The study was published online in BMJ Quality and Safety in October.
Pediatric nurses play a key role in preventing post-traumatic stress in injured children and their families by practicing “trauma-informed care”. A new study surveyed pediatric trauma nurses, revealing that they are knowledgeable about practicing trauma-informed care, but need for additional training to help families cope after a child’s injury.