Health: Cardiologist shares tips for a healthy heart for Mumbaikars

Dr Aashish Contractor

We spoke to him to get to the heart of the matter.

How do you know that a pain is cardiac?
Any discomfort that occurs anywhere between navel and nose, and typically increases on exertion and decreases on rest, is quite likely to be heart-related. Now, that does not mean that other kinds of pains cannot have the same symptoms. But my suggestion is not to avoid it. When in doubt, get it checked.

When it comes to heart conditions, are men and women on the same plane?
The main difference is two-fold. One is in the mode of manifestation. In men, it is more common to have chest pain or discomfort as a presenting symptom, while women usually don't experience the typical symptoms of angina. Shortness of breath with exertion is often the only symptom. The second major difference is that women tend to be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, and heart disease is not easily picked up. But, the truth is that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women all over the world, and in India too.

It's commonly assumed that sexual activity puts an added strain on the heart. How far is this true?
No, that's not really true. Strain in itself has a very negative connotation, so I would prefer using the word 'demand'. Yes, sexual activity puts a demand on your heart. But, that could be true for any kind of physical activity. And, in reality, the amount of effort required for sexual activity is similar to that required to climb two flights of stairs, or walking at a pace of 4–5 km/hour. When we put it that way, the demand is really negligible.

Did you know?
There's a heart condition called the Broken Heart Syndrome. This syndrome is very different from a heart attack and has nothing to do with its metaphorical meaning. It is a temporary condition brought on by a very stressful situation, like death, during which normal pumping of the heart is affected. The common symptom is chest pain, but the pain reverses on its own.