Tending Your Ticker

Many of us do not know that the heart is the most important muscle of all, working 24/7, and don't even give it a second thought. It's high time we had a change of heart and treated this hardworking organ with the care and respect it rightfully deserves

- Jamuna Rangachari

I was shocked when I heard that my cousin, 57-year-old S Dinakar, who was a senior sports journalist in The Hindu, had a sudden

heart attack in his hotel room and passed away there itself. He did not have any heart condition and was quite active, so this was a shock to all of us, both family and friends. After that, I also heard of many sudden young deaths. Videos abounded on the internet of people as young as 19 dying of heart-attack, while dancing, playing, walking or simply sitting on a chair. Actor Sushmita Sen too shocked the nation when she shared that she had suffered from a heart-attack and now has a stent placed inside her heart.

The fact is that diseases like cancer, diabetes, asthma, are at least discussed and a plan of action is made to keep them in check. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the human heart, which is neglected so much that we see a lot of people, both young and old, getting sudden heart attacks. It is time we understand how to take care of this important organ that is the most essential one of all.

The habit of taking care of our heart needs to start from our youth and continue throughout our lifetime. In today’s world, this important aspect of our health is ignored by many until they reach their senior years. Thankfully it’s never too late to make changes that will improve our health, including that of our heart. We are learning all kinds of things nowadays. Should we not also learn how the heart works so that it motivates us to live a heart-healthy life and remain healthy always?

The mechanics of the heart