Did you know that, according to research, South Asians are two to three times more likely to experience heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and diabetes – in comparison to other ethnic groups? Yes, that’s right – quite unforeseen and prevalent in this community. As a South Asian woman myself, I take this issue quite seriously as many of my loved ones have been affected by many forms of heart disease.
Source: Flickr – Courtesy of Jack Teagle
Heart disease can be defined in many ways – generally speaking, it can be classified as a group of multiple conditions that affect the heart with several core causes. A type of heart disease that seems to be quite prevalent in the South Asian Community is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This specific type of disease occurs when there is a blockage of arteries in your heart; this can lead to Angina, which is chest pain, or Heart Attack which is when the heart receives almost no oxygen.
Growing up as a South Asian, you become exposed to many fatty foods that can be detrimental to your health – especially in the long run. These foods can be one of the ultimate causes of Coronary Artery Disease. Diet in the South Asian household can play a major role when it comes to heart health. Excessive amounts of salts and sugars can contribute to many causes of heart disease such has diabetes. Poor decisions when it comes to your diet intake can lead to bad results in the long haul – weakening your heart muscle.
In order to prevent heart disease and to maintain a healthy heart, it is important to regulate your diet and physical health. Cutting certain things out of our diet such as added sugars and salts can improve your lifestyle by far. Also, ensuring that you get in at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise each day can also improve your heart health over time. Heart disease is a huge epidemic in today’s day and age.
In the South Asian community, there have been several ways that we have reached out to the public regarding this issue – it is important to educate and provide knowledge within our community and outside of it. Fraser Health has implemented a program called “Apnee Sehat” which directly translates to “Our Health” in English. This program has targeted many temples and mandirs (Hindu temple) currently in the lower mainland. Its goal is to educate and support the South Asian community by providing flu shots, blood pressure checks, important knowledge, etc.
The following video goes into detail regarding the “Apnee Sehat” program and how it has taken action across the lower mainland.
Youtube: Fraser Health Apnee Sehat Story
I believe that supporting one another within your community when it comes to your health is incredibly important. By helping people become more aware, we are helping them manage their lifestyles better so they don’t have to deal with terrible outcomes later in life.
For more information and insight regarding heart health, take a listen to this interesting podcast.
Source: Mixcloud – Healthy Heart Podcast
– Milan Tiwana
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