Good diet, exercise help reduce risk of coronary heart problems

Good diet, exercise help reduce risk of coronary heart problems

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

What would you do if someone sitting next to you suddenly
fainted? A middle-aged woman -- who was attending a health
seminar at a hospital in South Jakarta -- shouted in panic when
she experienced the same thing.

"Pak ..., Pak ... are you OK? Doc, help!," she shouted, while
supporting the head of an unconscious middle-aged man, sitting
right next to her. Other participants were also shocked and began
to encircled the man.

It was lucky that a cardiologist and some internists were
speakers at the seminar. They quickly approached the unconscious
man and gave him first aid.

"I was paying attention to the discussion when he suddenly
tilted his head over my shoulder. I was shocked to see him
unconscious," the woman yelled, still panicky.

Later on, a group of students of the School of Medicine rushed
the man outside, escorted by several doctors. The cardiologists
comforted other participants and confirmed that the man had
suffered a coronary heart problem.

Coronary heart problems occur due to the narrowing of the
coronary arteries, which obstructs the flow of blood to the heart
muscles, said Fatmawati Hospital cardiologist Eddy Sunaryuniarto
at a recent seminar on coronary heart disease.

The symptoms of the disease, he explained, included fatigue,
chest pains, breathing problems and irregular heart rhythm.

"In some cases, the symptoms can occur when a person is
engaged in strenuous activity and may disappear after taking a
rest but then the condition may exhibit no symptoms at all but
cause sudden death," he said.

Eddy identified several factors that played an important role
in the disease, include age, family history, abnormal cholesterol
level, diabetes melitus, hypertension, smoking, being overweight,
inactive lifestyle and stress.

Internist from the hospital's diabetes clinic Ida Ayu Kishanti
said most people thought of cholesterol in negative ways and did
not know that it was also needed to ensure good health.

Ida said cholesterol, which circulates in blood, is an
important component to repair cell membranes, is vital for the
function of body cells and is required for the production of
hormones.

She differentiated "good" cholesterol, known as high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) from "bad" cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
(LDL).

When the LDL level in the blood is abnormally high, she said,
it can create a buildup of plaque in the blood vessel walls,
which, in turn, narrows the arteries (also known as
atherosclerosis) and increases the risk of heart attack or
stroke. HDL can help clear the buildups.

Nutritionist with the hospital Pauline Endang Praptini advised
people to adopt a healthful, balanced diet by reducing high-fat
food and increasing their daily fiber intake to 30 grams.

High-fiber foods include oatmeal and barley, and a variety of
fruit and vegetables that provide water-soluble and insoluble
fiber.

"Insoluble fiber will create roughage that helps produce
regular bowel movements, thereby preventing constipation and
hemorrhoids, while soluble fiber, available in oatmeal, will be
transformed into a gel-like substance that prevents the
absorption of cholesterol in food, thereby forcing the body to
use cholesterol in the blood," she said, citing her own research
results.

She added that high-fiber food can extend the presence of food
in the stomach so the sensation of being full will remain for
longer.

"This will help with weight loss for overweight people," she
said, adding that one can consume over 300 grams of fruits and
vegetables to fulfill the need of 30-gram of fiber.

Other experts also encourage people to eat more fish and soy
products as they can produce HDL cholesterol and prevent heart
disease.

Another speaker from the hospital rehabilitation unit
Suharyuni Argadikoesoema advised people at high risk to allocate
20 to 30 minutes for exercise, at least three times per week.

While stressing that prior consultation with a physician
before starting any physical activity is important, Suharyuni
cited walking and jogging as being among the best forms of
exercise.