In Healthy Heart Professor Kaul narrowly focuses on the risk Indian Americans -- which can be logically extended to the South Asian population, as whole -- faces from cardiovascular disease. She explains their genetic vulnerability to heart illness.

Genetics, added to an unhealthy lifestyle and easy access to fatty food in today's age of prosperity, has put us in a high peril category. She suggests that South Asians look at maintaining a healthy heart as a special challenge.

Dr Kaul offers several strategies, as well as food recipes, to ward off heart disease. But first, in the following extract from her book, an explanation of the problem among Asian Americans, an explanation which may apply to Indians the world over:



The increase in heart disease among Asian Americans is due to the ease with which our adopted country allows you to fulfil your craving for traditionally rich, fatty South Asian foods as well as other deleterious ingestibles such as smoking and alcohol.

Moreover, recent health-related research shows that blood lipid abnormalities present in South Asian communities are substantially different from those in the typical American community. The major lipid abnormality among Americans in general is: elevated levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, in contrast to the Asian Americans where the major abnormality is elevated triglyceride levels, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and only minimally elevated LDL cholesterol level.

The risk factors for heart disease are well-established. The main contributors are rich and fatty diets, lack of exercise and smoking. Genetic factors also play a significant role. Add to this a tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and occupational stresses in the population, and one can see a prescription for a major heart attack.

To significantly decrease their chances of developing heart disease, they need to adapt a healthier lifestyle that includes an appropriate diet, exercise, and abstinence from smoking and adequate weight control. The choice is theirs if they want to increase the length and fullness of their life.

It must be emphasised that diet alone is not a magic protection against heart disease. Regular exercise, total abstinence from smoking (including secondary inhalation from those who remain addicted to nicotine), moderation in alcohol intake, a reduction of occupational stress factors and proper control of diabetes and/or hypertension are also necessary. All of these disciplines must be maintained in a discipline tandem if results are to be achieved.

But first in importance is a healthy heart diet -- an essential beginning in achieving a changed lifestyle. Physically and psychologically, it is the first giant step toward a renewed and fulfilling longer life.

Extracted with the author's permission from Healthy Heart: South Asian Diet by Lalita Kaul, professor of nutrition at Howard University, Washington, DC and the spokeswoman of ADA, an organisation of 65,000 nutrition professionals.

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh

Earlier feature: What my heart attack taught me

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