Walking and green environments-preliminary steps in CVD prevention: Dr Sushil
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In view of the decreasing green spaces left for exercise and physical activity in urban areas and ever increasing incidence of cardiac ailments and lifestyle diseases Head Department of Cardiology GMCH Jammu, Dr Sushil Sharma held a day long Cardiac awareness cum health Check up camp at Shri Vishwakarma Sabha, Bakshi Nagar here on Sunday for educating masses regarding the importance of environmental factors in primary prevention of cardiac ailments thereby decreasing mortality and morbidity associated with cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Sushil Sharma, while educating masses about the role of exercise and green spaces in urban areas, told that given the high incidence of CVD worldwide and the alarming statistics from developed countries showing only minor recent improvements in CVD incidence, it is imperative that we explore all possible avenues for its prevention and management.
“Even if greenness decreases CVD risk by a few percent, its public health benefits are likely to be significant, given the high incidence of the disease. Therefore, a more firm link between CVD and green spaces in each domain of the environment could provide not only a new way of preventing CVD and its lethal manifestations, but also help in developing a blueprint for healthier homes and cities in future,” Dr Sushil said.
He elaborated that despite recent advances in treatment and management, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million deaths per year.
Although some forms of CVD are due to inherited genetic disorders, its most common manifestations can be attributed to a variety of environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, and pathophysiological risk factors. Recent systematic attempts to evaluate the contribution of environmental factors to CVD risk have led to the development of the concept of the envirome. The natural domain of the envirome comprises natural, non-human elements, inclusive of ecology and geography. Nested within the natural environment, humans create distinct social environments by interacting with nature and with each other. The resulting social environment consists of built structures such as houses, roads, and public buildings, and is characterized by distinct social networks and cultures, as well as economic and civic organizations. He added that the influence of greenness and exercise particularly in urban areas on CVD appears pervasive; affecting not only the risk of myocardial infarction, but ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation as well. Given that nearly 80% of deaths from air pollution are due to CVD, it remains likely that some of the salutary effects of green vegetation, particularly in urban areas, may be related to the reduction of air pollution levels in those areas.
The concept of the envirome provides a useful framework for systemic identification of the influence of the environment on CVD. Evidence from epidemiological studies suggest that even small improvements in the amount of daily walking is better than no walking, and greater increases confer larger cardiovascular health benefits. Patients may accrue short-terms gains such as improved fitness, body composition, He said
Management Committee of Shri Vishwakarma Sabha Raman Chalotra, Rakesh Chalotra, Jagdish Kalgotra, Ajay Chalotra, Pawan Verma, Rattan Lal, Sanjay Chalotra and Ramesh Lal appreciated the efforts of Dr. Sushil and his team for creating awareness about cardiovascular Diseases.
Zorawar Singh Jamwal (Chairman Team Jammu), Surinder Choudhary (Corporator) also graced the occasion.
Others who were part of this camp includes Dr Nasir Ali Choudhary, Dr Yashwant Sharma and Dr Kewal Sharma. Paramedics and volunteers includes Raghav Rajput, Ranjeet Singh, Kamal Sharma, Rajinder Singh, Jatin Bhasin, Jamshed Ali, Vikas Kumar, Nirvair Singh Bali, Akshay Singh, Maninder Singh, Sahil Sharma, Arjun Ghuman, Rahul Sharma, Shivam Gupta, Gourav Sharma and Sandeep Pal.
