Visakhapatnam: Pay attention to your gym routines to prevent cardiac arrest, advise doctors

Awareness walks organised by various hospitals in the city to mark World Heart Day

Awareness walks and meetings were organised by various hospitals in the city on the occasion of World Heart Day on Thursday.

The medical experts called upon the public to make exercise a part of their everyday life to keep diseases at bay. Stress due to hectic lifestyles and irregular eating habits were contributing to lifestyle diseases, they said.

Apollo Hospitals organised a series of programmes over the past few days to create awareness among the public on heart diseases and tips on keeping the heart healthy. Renowned cardiologists D.K. Baruah and N.K. Panigrahi underlined the need to tackle stress through exercise, relaxation and yoga. Junk food should be avoided and those who have crossed 40 should go for annual medical check-ups to rule out the possibility of deposition of cholesterol in the blood vessels, and take necessary remedial measures, they said.

A walkathon was organised by Medicover Hospitals on Beach Road to mark the occasion.

A 3-km walk was organised by KIMS ICON Hospital from Gajuwaka to Visakha Dairy, opposite BHEL (erstwhile BHPV). The rally was flagged off by Additional DCP of Gajuwaka Gangadharam. Dr. Y. Gopal Raju and Dr. G. Sukesh Reddy attributed the growing incidence of heart attacks to changing lifestyles.

Doctors said people must pay attention to their gym routines in order to prevent cardiac arrest. “Youngsters are overdoing their workouts at the gym, which is not recommended,” the doctors said, recalling the recent deaths of actors and politicians caused due to excessive workouts.

“Stress is another major factor for heart attacks. An early morning walk can prevent many health problems,” they said, advising people to go for a medical check-up once in six months for early detection of health problems.