Maintain healthy heart at home, book tells you how

Kolkata Aimed at creating awareness about heart diseases which account for more than 30 percent of deaths in the country, the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) on Sunday launched a book on developing a healthy heart lifestyle at home.

Christened "Ten Commandments for Creating Heart-Healthy Homes", the book is available in English and 10 other Indian languages and would be circulated among school children across the country.

"More than 30 percent of deaths in the country is due to cardiovascular diseases and is fast taking the shape of an epidemic. What is more alarming is it's fast catching up with the young generation," CSI president H.K. Chopra said releasing the book here.

Containing precise instructions on living healthy heart lifestyles at homes, the book has been created according to World Heart Federation guidelines and is based on the CSI's recently concluded epidemiological survey on school children.

Besides containing instructions for developing a healthy heart lifestyle like following dietary doctrine, exercising and promoting healthy environment, the book also has details about calorific values of various fruits, beverages and vegetables, recommended dietary allowances and ways and means to prevent and control coronary heart disease risk factors.

CSI general secretary Mrinal Kanti Das said: "Prevention is the best way to fight cardiovascular diseases and so we have chosen school children as the target audience.

"The book also seeks to address the issue of obesity and hypertension to which our younger population is increasingly falling prey to," said Das.

While the CSI will also be launching the book through a mobile app, union health ministry's deputy commissioner Damodar Bachani said the central government will make efforts to ensure the '10 commandments' are displayed in all medical facilities and educational institutions.

"The book can play a big part in preventing cardiovascular diseases and we will talk with the other departments concerned to ensure if the contents can be displayed at all medical facilities whether government or private so that awareness can be widely spread," said Bachani.