Attention young Goa, take care of your heart. A few decades ago the obvious cause for a broken heart in a young individual was romance and love. But with the epidemic of coronary artery disease (CAD) hitting Goa hard, the scenario is changing rapidly and with it, the meaning and cause of a ‘broken young heart’.
CAD refers to disease of the coronary arteries. Heart attacks are just some of the problems prevalent among the youngr generation. It is now common to hear about people in their thirties suffering from diabetes or hypertension. These chronic diseases, usually emerge after long exposure to an unhealthy lifestyle involving tobacco use, a lack of regular physical activity, and consumption of diets rich in highly saturated fats, sugars, and salt, typified by fast foods. This lifestyle results in higher level of risk factors to such diseases. This wasn’t the case for the earlier generation and one would expect someone who is over 60 years to suffer from the kind of health problems seen among the middle aged, across Goa.
On World Health Day, April 7, Goans are talking about how the youth today needs to pay greater attention to their personal health and take care of their bodies before it is too late.
