Webinar held on stress and heart health
As part of the 'Healthy India, Happy India' initiative, Naruvi Hospitals, Vellore, in association with The Hindu, held a webinar on 'Stress: The Silent Killer of One's Heart'. The session featured three experts who explored the impact of chronic stress on heart health and shared practical strategies to manage it effectively.
Mohammed Jaffer Sherif, consultant cardiothoracic and vascular anesthaesia at Naruvi Hospitals, explained the science behind stress. It is a feeling of emotional or physical tension triggered by events or thoughts that cause frustration, anger, or nervousness.
'Addressing everyday stress proactively can make a big difference,' he said. While chronic stress poses serious health risks, short-term stress can enhance focus, motivation, and resilience. He also cautioned the younger generation to be mindful of the growing impact of digital stress.
Ray George, consultant cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Naruvi Hospitals, spoke on the signs, symptoms, and hidden dangers of stress. He explained the body's various responses to stress, noting, 'Stress can cause an increased heart rate and low blood pressure, to name a few.'
He also highlighted the long-term complications of stress, including metabolic and endocrine disruptions, increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, and obesity.
Vinayak Shukla, senior consultant cardiothoracic surgery, Naruvi Hospitals, spoke on 'Managing Stress for a Healthier Heart'. Pursuing hobbies could shift attention away from daily stressors, he explained and encouraged regular physical activity, such as yoga, walking, and running, to effectively manage stress. 'It is about shifting your focus to moments of beauty, simplicity, and the everyday wonders of life,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Central Pollution Control Board to decide on future of flue gas desulphurisation units: Power Minister
The Union Ministry of Power will wait for the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to decide on whether flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units should be mandatory for all coal-fired thermal power plants, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said in a response to a question from The Hindu at a press conference on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). On the June 4, The Hindu had reported on a meeting in April involving a high-powered committee of experts, chaired by the Principal Scientific Advisor, Ajay Sood. The group recommended that India do away with its decade-long policy of mandating equipment, including FGD units, in all coal-fired thermal power plant units (TPPs). While 92% of India's 600 TPPs, spread across about 180 coal plants, haven't yet installed FGD units, the recommendation exempts about 80% of them from installing such equipment. So far, the government has granted three extensions since 2017, the latest being in December 2024, for plants to comply by 2027-2030. FGDs are an additional piece of equipment required to be retro-fitted in TPPs to cut harmful sulphur dioxide emissions resulting from burning coal. Sulphur dioxide emissions can also hover in the atmosphere and form aerosols of sulphates that, on the one hand, can somewhat temper the heat from global warming, but also exacerbate particulate matter pollution and respiratory diseases. It is estimated that the current installation cost of such equipment is about ₹1 crore per megawatt (MW) of installed power capacity. 'Scientific institutions such as CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi have studied this. The sulphate aerosols from these coal plants aren't to the extent that they affect human is less than 5%. On the contrary, it is necessary that some of it remain in the atmosphere. If it is too less, it can increase warming,' Mr. Khattar said. 'That said, the CPCB is looking at this and hasn't come to a conclusion. We will implement anything only after examining their verdict. About 97,000 MW of power will be added, and implementing FGD means an additional expense of ₹97,000 crore. We have to consider this carefully. Neither should health be harmed, nor people face increased tariffs, nor warming increase. You must have read about the thousands of lives lost in Europe from heatwaves,' he added. As The Hindu had reported, the committee, according to the minutes of the meeting viewed by The Hindu, will 'recommend' to the Power and Environment Ministers that only power plants located in a 10 km radius of the National Capital Region, and cities with a population of over one million, are required to install FGD units. These are called Category A plants. There are 66 such plants, and only 14 of them have installed FGD units. All these plants are required to comply by 2027. Those in a 10-km radius of 'Critically Polluted Cities' or 'Non Attainment Cities', called Category B plants, would be eligible for exemption on a 'case by case' basis, upon a joint review by the Central Electricity Authority or the CPCB. There are 72 such plants, with only 4 having installed FGD units. These plants have a deadline of 2028. The remaining 462 plants come under Category C. Thirty-two of them have installed FGD units. These plants have a 2029 deadline. Over 600 units in categories A and B could be additionally exempted if they were 20 years and older. 'The key common point in these studies is that, fitment of FGDs in all TPPs in India is not necessary to comply with the NAAQ (National Ambient Air Quality) standards whose compliance is essential to safeguard public health. While all TPPs must comply with the December 2015 stack emission standards for PM pollution and freshwater consumption, the SO2 stack emission standards can be relaxed to ensure that they are in conformance with the NAAQ standards which are notified by CPCB, keeping in mind the human health and other aspects. This way, TPPs may be able to comply with these standards without fitting FGDs. Since the existing NAAQ standards (for ambient SO2) must be complied with, this change will not affect human health in India,' the committee had concluded.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Diet is both cause and cure for MASLD, a liver condition: experts at The Hindu-Naruvi event
As against a 30% global incidence, 40% of the Indian population is affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a liver condition that remains a silent pandemic. Gastroenterologists on Sunday (June 8, 2025) discussed this disease linked to lifestyle at The Hindu-Naruvi Hospitals webinar series under the 'Healthy India Happy India' initiative. Experts emphasised that weight reduction is the key to treating this non-alcoholic fatty liver condition triggered by unhealthy lifestyle and metabolic risk factors such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Speaking at the webinar on MASLD, Ashok Chacko, senior consultant and head, Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases at the Naruvi Hospitals, said the liver condition largely remains undiagnosed in 53% of Indian population who are at higher risk due to co-morbidities, because there are hardly any symptoms till the liver fails. 'Fatigue or tiredness and a mild pain on the right side of the abdomen could be the only early symptoms and often ignored. MASLD is a lifestyle disease caused due to increased intake of food and decreased exercise, and co-morbidities impact the disease progression,' he said. Though the disease is static or reversed in 80% to 85% cases, MASLD is not harmless and cannot be ignored. Prof. Chacko said 15% of all patients develop steatotic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), which takes seven years to develop, and 5% develop liver cirrhosis, which takes another 25 years. 'A few also get liver cancer but due to the long timespan and lack of symptoms, people neglect it,' he said. Screening must Referring to common doubts and concerns about fatty liver and determining the risk of developing complications, R.S. Arun, Head of Medical Gastroenterology, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, said targeted screening of those with high risk factors, and surveillance of disease progression helped in dealing with complications. He recommended blood tests and ultrasound every six months, and a non-invasive fibroscan every one to three years. He reiterated that every person living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, hypertension, high lipid profile, elevated liver enzymes, family history of heart disease and liver cirrhosis should undergo regular check-ups. While the treatment of MASLD starts with managing the risk factors, maintaining ideal weight and healthy lifestyle with nutrient-dense diet, adequate sleep, hydration, and following an exercise prescription is the key to reversing fatty liver, said Rabindranath E., consultant in medical gastroenterology with Naruvi Hospitals, Vellore. Diet is both the cause and cure for MASLD, he said. The mantra is to reduce the portion size and calories, and stick to a protein-rich, low-carb diet. 'Consistency in physical activity such as walking, jogging, cycling and swimming for at least 12 weeks will start reaping benefits,' said Dr. Rabindranath. He also recommended quitting smoking and alcohol, and following customised and intermittent fasting to reduce liver fat. 'But do so after consulting a doctor if you have advanced liver disease or other co-morbidities to ensure safety,' he said. This webinar can be viewed at
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
COVID-19 cases in Telangana rise to double digits, experts say current wave appears mild
COVID-19 cases in Telangana have now climbed into double digits, with 10 active cases reported on Sunday, June 8, according to the national COVID-19 dashboard. The fresh uptick marks a steady rise in infections across the state, mirroring a broader national trend. The current wave in Telangana began on May 23, when a doctor from Kukatpally in Hyderabad tested positive, the first recorded case in this phase of the outbreak. Since then, daily case numbers have seen a gradual increase. Officials, however, have sought to calm public concern. Telangana's Director of Public Health and Family Welfare told The Hindu, 'It is only a normal routine kind of cases . If there is any hospitalisation or serious presentation, it will be taken seriously. The Government of India is also on the same page.' Genome sequencing data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) shows that five samples from Telangana were sequenced as of June 8. Four of these belong to the LF.7.9 variant, while one was identified as the XFG variant. Medical experts have so far noted no alarming signs. Dr. Kiran Madala, Professor of Anaesthesia at Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad, said, 'The cases are going up every day, but it is behaving just like another flu. We are not seeing any unusual hospital admissions. The pattern appears similar to what other states are experiencing, and it is milder for now.'
