India holds the dubious distinction of having a worryingly high number of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. Approximately 24.8% of all fatalities in the country can be attributed to CVDs. In addition, the average age at which Indians suffer their first heart ailment is a dramatic 10 years lower, at 53 years, than most developed countries. These numbers undoubtedly highlight the importance of heart health in our country and why every citizen needs regular heart health check-up. The first step towards improving the situation is to inform and educate, and in this article, that is exactly what we aim to do. We have listed 7 indicators that can tell you how good your heart health is and how to use these indicators to identify potential problems.

7 signs of a healthy heart

1. Heart rate:

   Anywhere between 60 to 100 beats per minute is deemed normal for adults when they are at rest. Take your pulse rate to find out your heat beat rate per minute. You will be able to find the difference in the heartbeat at rest and after you have been working out simply by counting your pulse beats. Or you can find out your ideal resting heart rate from your doctor. Remember that the lower the number (above a minimum of 60 for most people), the stronger is your heart. However, if you are accustomed to regular exercise, your resting heart rate may be lower too. Lower rest rate means that your heart can supply enough blood to your body without having to work too hard, meaning it is in great condition. When you go for a heart health check-up, you will find these numbers printed on the report and you can compare them with your next report.

2. Recovery rate:

   It is normal for your heart rate to get elevated after you have been working out or running or carrying out any intensive physical activity. This does not indicate a heart ailment but the pace at which your heart rate comes back to normal, that is, the recovery rate, does tell you a lot about how strong your heart is. There is a simple way to test this. Check your heart rate immediately after you have just finished a heavy workout. Then rest for about a minute. Now check again. If you can see a drop of a minimum of 20 beats within this one minute, your recovery rate is healthy enough.

3. Blood pressure:

   There are two components to your blood pressure measurement. The systolic pressure is the arterial pressure when the heart is in squeezing motion. The diastolic pressure is the pressure in between heart beats when it relaxes. You will see your blood pressure recorded with two numbers: A/B. A is the systolic pressure and B is diastolic. Normally, the systolic blood pressure should be less than 120, diastolic less than 80. Remember that blood pressure varies throughout the day, depending on what you have been doing. So, to get an accurate measure, you may need to measure it at different times during the day.

4. Breathing pattern:

   You normally do not notice your breathing at all unless you find yourself gasping for air. If this tends to happen frequently, when you have not done any heavy or intense physical activity, then this is a sure cause for concern and must be checked out. Note that shortness of breath after you have run up two flights of stairs is normal but gasping for breath after you have slowly climbed is not. Shortness of breath can also be the result of extreme stress/anxiety. Pay special attention to whether you are feeling pressure on the chest while lying down or doing normal, simple activities like cooking or walking the dog.

5. Stamina:

   The ability to get through your day feeling energetic and fresh is a sign of a healthy heart. Always feeling tired and lethargic may be a sign of a heart that is unable to pump enough oxygenated blood. If you find that you are suddenly running out of stamina for things you could do without trouble earlier, this is a cause for concern. Having low energy all day, feeling like you want to take a nap after doing moderate physical activity, feeling extremely tired after walking just a short flight of stairs- all these could be a sign that your heart is unable to pump the blood your body needs. An interesting correlation between sleep apnoea and heart disease is that the former can lead to the latter. Sleep apnoea also prevents you from getting a good restful night’s sleep, which adds to your daytime fatigue.

6. Cholesterol:

   When your cholesterol levels are in balance, that is, both LDL and HDL, your heart is healthy. This is typically not something you can find out at home like you can with many other indicators, but every heart health check- up will measure your cholesterol levels too and give you a clear picture of where you stand.

7. Oral health:

   Unusually enough, good oral health is a sign that your heart is in great shape. Yes, oral infections can simply arise from bacterial build-up and poor oral hygiene. However, if despite great brushing habits, you have sore gums, this could be a red alert for heart disease. Research shows links between periodontal disease and heart disease. Poor dental health presents a significant risk of bacteria from the mouth entering the blood stream and damaging heart valves. Dental health and hygiene are highlighted as priority items for those with artificial heart valves because of this reason.

Knowing the indicators can save your life

Heart disease does not develop overnight. It often happens that the individual suffering from acute heart ailment had symptoms over a long period that he overlooked. Seemingly innocuous signs like gasping for breath while climbing stairs, swelling in legs and ankles or unusual chest pressure- all of these should ring warning bells. Paying attention to your body, understanding changes in it and taking the right action at the right time can ward off a heart attack and save your life.

In addition to these, the simplest and most efficient way to care for your heart is to opt for regular heart health check-up from a reputed lab like NURA where you get the latest AI technology health check- up. With NURA, you can look forward to the tech expertise of Japan’s Fujifilm combined with the medical expertise of Dr Kutty’s healthcare, working for you. A comprehensive heart check-up, or even better, an annual master health check-up, can help you keep track of your health and identify early warning signs of cardiovascular problems. If you are in Bangalore, searching for ‘master health check-up near me’, look no further. Just call NURA and fix your appointment today.