Q&A: Yoga, ki energy training, deep breathing may reduce risk of heart disease

If you take Illinois yoga classes, you may be doing your ticker a favor.

If you take Illinois yoga classes, you may be doing your ticker a favor.

Q: So tell me about heart attacks. Are they still the public health issue that they once were?
A: If anything, heart attacks are more of a problem than they have ever been, which is why it may be a good idea to look into healthy dieting options, exercise, yoga, ki energy training – really anything that can improve your cardiovascular health.

Q: How do we know that heart attacks are so serious?
A: The numbers paint a grim cardiovascular situation in the U.S. Heart attacks are the nation's leading cause of death, claiming more than 616,000 lives every single year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, 1.2 million people suffer such attacks every year, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) states. The 50-50 odds of surviving such a cardiovascular event are, in a word, discouraging.

Q: Can anything be done once a heart attack begins to occur?
A: Of course. Most physicians recommend that, at the appearance of chest pain and tingling or numbness of the left arm, individuals take aspirin or an over-the-counter blood thinner. Surgically, many people are saved by getting an angioplasty, an operation designed to restore blood flow in blocked arteries. An article in the Chicago Tribune noted that most people who suffer a heart attack get this surgery within 90 minutes of being admitted to a hospital.

Q: Is speed essential during a heart attack?
A: Yes. The NHLBI estimates that half of heart attack-related deaths occur within the first hour.

Q: What can I do now to prevent future cardiovascular disease? Does yoga improve heart health?
A: If you take Illinois yoga classes, you may be doing your ticker a favor. Studies have shown that doing yoga may improve physical fitness, change breathing patterns, lower blood pressure and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

Tags: , , ,

Leave a comment