Drivers, due to their nature of work, are highly susceptible to heart diseases, says Dr. Madhavan

Observing World Heart Day on Saturday, A. Madhavan, Senior Interventional Cardiologist of Dr. Madhavan’s Heart Centre, passed on a message to professional drivers of all vehicles to maintain a healthy physique, as heart diseases were mostly affecting drivers.  

“Due to their nature of work and workload, they develop a practice of eating indiscriminately at improper times. With no active physical work, they develop an obese physique which becomes one of the major reasons for their heart-related complications,” he added.  

Dr. Madhavan added, “I find a lot of drivers to be obese and smokers. Owing to this, I myself have witnessed many drivers losing their life to silent heart attacks and some due to very low heart pump capacity develop sudden cardiac arrest.” 

As a doctor’s moral duty, he said that he appealed to the owners of the vehicles to take care of their drivers for their employees’ welfare and the passengers welfare. “First thing the employers should have control on the working hours of their drivers, and they also should ensure the drivers get a sound sleep,” he added.  

Observing the day, doctors from Meenakshi Super Specialty Hospital said that there was a rising prevalence of heart disease among individuals aged 35-50, particularly in urban centres like Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai.  

“A sharp increase in premature heart disease and sudden cardiac deaths are being observed, especially in the 40-50 age group, across the State,” said N. Ganesan, Head of the Department & Senior Interventional Cardiologist. 

He said that stressful work environments, sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy dietary habits were the key contributing factors to the disease. 

“To maintain long-term heart health in today’s fast-paced world, young adults must prioritise a balanced diet, regular physical activity and effective stress management. A heart-healthy lifestyle includes consuming while foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, while limiting processed foods, sugar and alcohol. Regular exercise, stress management techniques like meditation and yoga, avoiding smoking, getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, staying hydrated and regular health check-ups are also essential,” said R. Sivakumar, Senior Interventional Cardiologist. 

Preethi Hospitals conducted a discussion on the various ways to prevent heart diseases.

At Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the members held a discussion with C. Vivek Bose, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, and V. Sridar, Senior Cardio Thoracic Surgeon of Apollo Hospital in Madurai.

Published - September 28, 2024 09:51 pm IST