We are obsessed with Cholesterol

         
            
We are still haunted by the' phantom' cholesterol.
That is why we eat only white of egg and throw away the yellow portion or give it to the made servant (good for her health)



Then we discovered a cooking oil 'zero' in cholesterol,and discarded our traditional cooking oils (mustard, coconut,groundnut oil) 

In fact, every cooking oil is 'zero' in cholesterol.

All plant foods are 'zero' in cholesterol.
All animal foods contain 'ready made' cholesterol

Liver in our body prepares cholesterol from saturated fats (butter, cheese ,cooking oil) and trans fats (fast foods) It means that saturated fats and trans fats increase blood cholesterol.  

But if we eat ready made cholesterol, there is no much rise in blood cholesterol. Thus the effect of egg yellow on blood cholesterol is minimal when compared with trans fats and saturated fats.

Look at the nutritious value of an egg:
.

Egg white:

Protein: 6 gm

The biological value of egg protein is superior to all animal and plant proteins

Egg yolk:

 very little saturated fat (1.5 grams)   

 Vitamin A (270 IU)

 Vitamin D (40 IU)

 Lutein (good for the eye)

 Choline (good for brain and nerves)

Cholesterol 186 mg

One egg has only 72 calories 

American heart association has stated that daily cholesterol intake up to 300 mg is safe.

One egg has only 186 mg


 Bottom line:

The relation between cholesterol and heart attack is controversial.

There are many risk factors for heart attack. We ignore them and are obsessed with only cholesterol.

Blood cholesterol increased due to

• saturated fats in cooking oils
• Trans fats (fast foods)

Egg yolk does not increase blood cholesterol

You can have one egg every day without feeling guilty
  

Heart attack : Where do you live matters

   
This is an original research paper published in the prestigious medical journal 'New England Journal of Medicine'

This study involved 13000 participants, which were followed up for 9 years.

Those persons living in homes with a stressful environment had a higher risk of heart attack, and this risk is over and above the established risk factors for heart attack. 


This study examined the  various factors of neighborhood such as wealth,income, education and occupation 

Increased risk:

• Fear of crime
• Insecurity
• Noise
• Lack of open space
• Lack of Social support
• No medical help
• Lack of recreation facilities

Also, such environment may encourage smoking,irregular diet and lack of exercise. 


Decreased risk:

• Large public places
• Medical help
• Recreation facilities
• No noise
• No crime
• Social support
• Security

Such environment promotes a healthy lifestyle and preventive health behavior

P.S.


We already know that lack of education, poverty, low social status increase the risk of heart attack.This study adds an additional risk factor, which is the environment around

your residence.

The illness and the death are related to social inequalities.

Who suffer?

• 'Low' control over life
• 'Low' in social hierarchy 

Social gradient plays a role in life and in death

Anger can damage your heart

    

Anger and hostility are strongly related to coronary heart disease. It affects pumping strength of heart

Angry outburst could trigger heart attack within hours.
It is not an ordinary anger, but an intense anger with hostile and destructive behavior

Events that trigger heart attack:

• Arguments with family members and others, 
• Work conflicts,
• Road rage.

What is the mechanism?

• Increased heart rate (palpitations)

• Spasm of blood vessels and rise in blood pressure

• Decrease blood supply to the heart (ischemia)

• Increased clotting of blood

• Fight or flight reaction:

      This involves release of stress hormones like adrenaline  
      and cortisol and there is a burst of energy.
      Now you are ready to fight an enemy or run away

• If this happens repeatedly, it causes wear and tear of artery walls

P.S.

We know physical risk factors for heart attack, but not aware of emotional risk factors.

Anger is the strong risk factor for heart attack.

We take care of diet, exercise, cholesterol, high B.P.

There is a need to control the anger and hostility. But the patient may not be convinced. On the other hand,he may justify his anger. 

There is a gym for exercise, there is statin for cholesterol, medicines for high B.P. and diabetes.
But there are no clinics which can tackle the anger in a professional manner. 

But if we can control the anger, it will help to a large extent to prevent a heart attack

It is not an easy task

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Heart attack : The Facts

     


 Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru is India’s largest heart hospital with 1,200 beds and 75 full-time cardiologists. Over the past few years, the number of heart-attacks are increasing in young people between the age 30 -40 years 
.
They studied about 2,000 such cases in the last two years.




“ 40% of them did not have any conventional risk factors. 


It is known that 

• 60% of heart patients in the world are Indians.

• Indians are 4 times more vulnerable

• They are younger, and poorer than in the West

It has been shown that lower education increases the risk of hear attacks. Also the people in the low income group are more susceptible.

Who suffers?

• 'Low' control over life

• 'Low' in social hierarchy 

Social gradient plays a role in life and death

Heart attack: Risk decreases with education

i

Increasing number of years spent in education likely to lead to health benefits


This study published in JAMA tracked the health of nearly 14,000 adults from 1987 through 2013. 

The participants had varying levels of education, 

Dropping out of high school and lower levels of education were linked to increased number of heart attacks

 Education reduces this risk.

How this can happen?

The effect is mediated through the other risk factors for heart attack

Those who spend longer time in education: 

• Less likely to smoke,
• have lower BMI 
• healthy blood cholesterol profile

 Those with lower education levels:

• have poor income, 
• less access to medical care, 
• low physical activity, 
• higher levels of smoking, 
• poor diets, 
• high blood pressure,and diabetes,
  
  
   

P.S.

How simple is this? 

Educate everybody and get health benefits.

But how difficult it is.

This will need big social and political reforms