Yoga And Heart

Yoga is an alternative system of healing, its power being widely harnessed to prevent and treat various diseases of the heart. Yoga is undoubtedly a reliable avenue for holistic health.

Disease is a manifestation of underlying disharmony in the mind- body domain. Yogic way of life offers a solution to elevate the health of body, mind and soul. Yoga is a cure for many diseases - diabetes, obesity and psychiatric illnesses - as much as it offers immense benefits to alleviate heart diseases.

Yoga has an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases that includes recurrence of heart attacks, hypertension and coronary heart diseases. Yoga influences the hypothalamus directly, the area of the brain that controls endocrine activity, and helps prevent heart attacks. 

A complete yoga program involves exercises (asanas),breath control(pranayama), sleep control(yoga Nidra) and mind control(meditation).These are the tenets for cardiac health; also probably the reason why cardiologists universally, recommend yoga to their patients. The curative benefits of yoga enhances heart health, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic stress, boosts the immune system and enhances cognitive ability.

Heart of the Matter 

Heart disease is a problem of modern times. It is psychosomatic in nature. Improper lifestyle, faulty diet and negative thinking play an important part in triggering heart disease. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions affect our body and mind. Negative emotions spark chemical processes throughout the entire body. Any irritation in the lining of arterial walls - which includes high levels of fat in the blood, smoking and high blood pressure- can trigger heart diseases, 

Vedic wisdom in yoga lays emphasis on four aspects that have a direct bearing on health. They are:

Achaar (character and conduct): It stands for moral virtues - truthfulness, chastity, compassion and kindness.

Vichaar (perception or the way we think): The way we think influences our way of life. Develop a positive outlook in life and remove negative thoughts from the mind.

Vyayahaar (the way we behave):It pays to replace undesirable habits with positive ones. If we fear change and cling to old, negative habits, we cannot succeed in yoga.

Ahaar (diet or the food we eat): Food sustains our body. What we eat affects our mind directly. Intake of proper and healthy food nourishes body and mind. Avoid over- eating and eat in moderation.

Any imbalance in any of these aspects results in disharmony of body, mind and soul. This paves the way for diseases.

In addition, mental relaxation through meditation and yoga contribute immensely in offsetting arteriosclerosis (coronary artery blocked due to the deposition of fats on the inner walls of the heart). Thus, owing to its many positive effects- direct and indirect on the cardiovascular system, yoga assumes a pivotal role in heart care. 

How Does The Body React To Stress

Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that causes disturbance to our physical or mental equilibrium, by making one feel threatened or upset. Effects of stress are in the body and mind, in through hormonal changes, muscle reflexes, heart beat patterns and so on. The automatic process in which our body responds to a stress-stimulus is called a flight-fight-freeze response or stress response.

Stress response is the body’s way of reacting to a challenge. The sympathetic nervous system is activated resulting in the flight-fight-freeze response. Such a reaction is useful as the reflexes of the body are activated so that one can escape to a safer situation. It is this reaction that keeps you on your toes for the presentation at work, improves concentration when you need to perform a winning move at a game or drives you to study for an exam instead of lazing around. 


Physical stress is different from mental stress. Physical stress includes the physical attack on the body that may threaten the life of the individual. Physical stress is also accompanied by mental stress and the stress response includes the same hormonal changes, changes in the nervous system and other parts of the body.

The stress response soon wears off, as the parasympathetic system returns the body’s physiological conditions to normal. Stress response is seen in all living beings, mostly as a reaction of facing the predator. In humans, stress can result in a negative or positive condition that can affect the person’s mental and physical well being.

What is the meaning of Fight-Flight-Freeze response?

The Fight-Flight-Freeze response is a combination of release of hormones and the sending of nerve signals that occur as a response to an encounter with the stressor. The physical symptoms of stress on the body include muscle tension, rapid heart rate and breathing and rise in blood pressure. Experiencing “butterflies” in the stomach, tingling sensations on the limbs and hair standing on the ends are some of the experiences people are faced with during sudden danger.

Fight - An angry reaction and agitated state of mind. The response is to fight the stimulus and overpower it. The body cannot sit still and is keyed up to act. A restless emotional reaction is seen, which could be fear, anxiety or anger, and a fight response includes fighting and overpowering the stressor.

Flight - This is a passive reaction, withdrawing away from the situation and a feeling of depression. The person shuts down his will to act and shows very little energy or emotion. A flight response usually consists of fleeing from the situation or withdrawing from the place or event.


Freeze - The pressure of the situation makes the person freeze and paralyzed. Extreme agitation is going on in the mind, but the body remains frozen and does not react. 

The body responds to a threatening situation by releasing a flood of stress hormones. These include corticotrophin releasing hormone, which in turn sets out to release adrenaline and cortisol. On the release of these hormones, the body becomes ready for a reaction. The heart beats faster, muscles tighten up and senses become sharper. There is an increase in blood pressure and breathing rate. A combination of these changes helps improve strength and stamina, speed up the reaction time and improve the focus and concentration. Now the person is ready to ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ from the threatened stimulus.

Is Stress Useful or Harmful?

The human body is designed to react to stress as a means of survival skills. Such a hormonal response keeps us alert and instigates a response to avoid or fight danger. In such cases, stress could protect our well-being.

However, constant stress by facing challenges without relief of relaxation becomes harmful. This negative stress reaction is called distress. During distress, the stressful condition of the body does not return to normal, causing long term changes in the heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

Use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs as an attempt to relieve stress further damages the body’s response. These substances do not really relieve the stressed state of the body. 

What happens inside our body when faced with danger?

Upon a sudden encounter with the stressor, a stimulus that can be an event or object causing disturbance, the body responds immediately, by activating the -

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  Nervous system
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  Endocrine system
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  Immune system

Homeostasis is a steady state that is constantly present in the body. The body is in constant movement around this homeostasis, a state of flux that is optimum for daily living activities. Any factor that causes this state to divulge too far from homeostasis is the condition of stress. And the body reacts to return to the homeostatic condition, by hastening or speeding up some processes. 

The brain plays a key role in the stress reaction, causing a network of stimulus-response reactions in the body. The following are some reactions that can be chalked out, as a response to stress.

Hypothalamus: During a stress response, the hypothalamus secretes corticotrophin-releasing hormone. This hormone, in turn, stimulates the pituitary gland and a heavily regulated stress response pathway is initiated.


Pituitary gland: As a stress reaction, the pituitary gland releases the adrenocorticotropin hormone that contributes to the stress response system.

Adrenal gland: This endocrine gland is located on top of the kidneys and it releases the hormones called cortisol and norepinephrine, into the blood stream during a stress response.

Spinal cord: The rest of the body is activated by the peripheral nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the peripheral nerves and the body’s major organs and muscles get ready to stand and fight or take flight. 

Changes in the Nervous System and Hormonal Changes

The Hypothalamus produces the neurohormone called Corticotropin-releasing hormone, causing the pituitary gland to release the adrenocorticotropic hormone into the blood stream. The latter reaches the cortex of the adrenal gland to release adrenaline and cortisol.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone and its function is to redistribute energy (glucose) to the brain and major muscles that would be fighting or fleeing. 

Hypothalamus secretes Corticotropin-releasing hormone

Corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulates pitutary gland

Pitutary gland secretes Adrenocorticotropic hormone

Adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulates cortex of adrenal gland

Cortisol and Adrenaline:

Redistribute energy in the form of glucose to brain and major muscles that work to fight or flee Suppresses body's immune system Aids in fat and protein metabolism

The above mechanisms help the body to react deliberately and purposefully to a stressful situation.

Other hormonal changes in the blood that are involved in stress response include:

Epinephrine or adrenaline: A hormone released by medulla of adrenal gland. Adrenaline serves as chemical mediator for conveying the nerve impulses to the effector organs like heart, liver and muscles.


Norepinephrine or Noradrenaline: A neurotransmitter, released from locus coeruleus as a response to stress, serves as the primary chemical messenger of the central nervous system’s sympathetic branch that prepares the body for fight-or-flight response. It helps the body to react to stress by increasing heart rate, triggering release of glucose, increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle, etc.

Serotonin: A neurotransmitter, from the brainstem, helps in mood regulation. Serotonin dysfunctions due to stress are associated with anxiety, fear and depression-like symptoms.

Neuropeptide-Y: Produced in hypothalamus, it acts as a chemical messenger in the brain. It plays a key role in appetite, feeding behavior and satiety. It also contributes to anxiety and stress. 

Various other parts of the brain like hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, Raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, etc. come into activation. These parts contribute to the cognitive functions and emotional responses that take place as a stress response. 

Long-term effects of the flood of hormones and ways to reduce it

The hormonal changes and their interaction with muscles and other organs will automatically return to a state of equilibrium, once the stressor stimulus is overpowered or avoided. However, in today’s lifestyle, various events, expectations and work pressures act as stressors. The body’s response to these agents that cause constant stress remains for a longer time, without intervals of relief. 

The effects of stress can maintain the changes in the body, such as rise in blood pressure, breathing rate, heart rate and blood sugar levels, for a longer time period, causing permanent changes in the body.

The only way to bring back the body to the state of equilibrium is to relieve oneself from these stressors. Taking a break away from work, going on a vacation, change of place, eating out, etc. are some of the stress busters. On a daily basis, yoga, exercise, deep breathing and meditation have helped individuals to think rationally and deal a stressful situation effectively.

What is Obesity?

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a condition in which a person has excess of body fat. When a person is 20 percent or more over their ideal body weight or if their Body Mass Index is 30 or over they are considered obese. Obesity increases an individual’s risk for various diseases, disability, and death.

Obesity has, in the recent years become a global phenomenon. This has serious implications, particularly in countries like India, where one fourth of the population is diabetic. Childhood obesity too has raised grave concerns world- wide. The obesity facts worldwide facts are startling -

• There are currently about 1.6 billion people in the world who are overweight and there are another 400 million who suffer from obesity.



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  155 million children are overweight and 30 to 45 million are obese.


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  In countries like India and other developing the problem is worse – healthcare is facing a crisis on both fronts – undernutrition and obesity.

A large proportion of the world population is overweight. There has been a lot of discussion about the exact definition of the terms overweight and obesity that can be applied universally. The National Institute of Health’s definition, given below, seems to be most acceptable.

Overweight is defined as BMI of over 27.3 % or more for women and 27.8 % or more for men. If it touches 30 a person is considered obese.

Fat is a great source of reserve energy for the body. It also acts as an insulator. It is fat that gives the body its smooth contour and its beautiful look.

A normal person has about 30 and 35 billion fat cells. Initially, when a person gains weight, the fat cells grow in their size but later on, if the weight is not controlled the number of fat cells start increasing. Weight loss results in decrease in size of the cells but not their number. The normal fat cells are 0.4 to 0.6 microgram in weight; the cells of an obese person can weigh as much as 1.2 micrograms.

Besides physical discomfort, an obese individual is at a risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, depression, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis and fertility- related problems.

Genetics, family history, sex and age determine the ‘size’ of the individual. The rate at which a person metabolizes food and his Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) are determined by his genetic factors. A family history puts him naturally on a risk. Women are more predisposed to obesity than men and older people are at a greater risk of weight gain compared to younger individuals. Certain medical conditions, like hypothyroidism, leads an individual to gain weight.

Physical inactivity, changes in food habits and lifestyle has been a major reason for the obesity epidemic worldwide.

A conscious effort to alter diet habits and a changed lifestyle are the best methods to manage obesity. For the morbidly obese prescription pills, non- invasive treatments and weight loss surgeries are also available.

HEART DISEASE – THE #1 KILLER IN INDIA

Several nationwide surveys and studies over the past few years have shown that heart diseases have replaced communicable diseases as the biggest killer, both in urban and rural India.

The heart is the size of one’s fist, and it’s one of the strongest muscles in the body. It starts beating even before the birth of a baby, and by the age of 70, an average heart will have beat two and a half billion times. With every heartbeat, blood is pumped all over the body; it’s pushed from the left heart chambers, through the arteries, then finally the capillaries in every part of the body. However, numerous health problems occur when the heart isn’t able to perform its functions properly.

The medical term for heart disease is cardiovascular disease, which refers to any disease that may affect the cardiovascular system. There are various causes of these diseases, but hypertension is the most common one. Also, one has to factor in on various physiological and morphological changes that have an effect on the cardiovascular function, leading to greater chances of heart diseases, even in individuals deemed healthy by the doctor. Other types of heart problems involve the valves in the heart, or the fact that the heart is not able to pump enough blood, causing heart failure. Some heart diseases are genetic, while some are born with it.

Heart diseases are the main cause of death among men and women in all regions across the nation. The findings from the surveys and studies were quite provocative; in poorer states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the leading reasons behind the deaths of middle-aged men were heart diseases. In cities, the percentage of deaths occurring due to heart diseases was at 33%, while the percentage in rural areas was 23%.  Including all the age groups of people, heart ailments were responsible for 19 per cent of all deaths.

There are various factors to keep in mind as a result of which one may suffer from heart ailments. High BP, diabetes and obesity are today considered among the highest triggers of heart diseases. Urban development has also played a role in the increased number of heart problems. Factors like high intake of fat, smoking, low intake of fresh foods and fruits were shown to be more common in less developed cities. Developed cities showed great amounts of physical inactivity.

Unlike deaths from communicable diseases or injuries having known causes, a large number of non- communicable diseases can have various causes and factors which give rise to them. For example, an individual’s heart attack can be triggered by high blood pressure in individuals, smoking habits, high cholesterol due to poor diets and even air pollution.

Today, India holds the title of being the world’s #1 country in coronary diseases. Despite this, there is little the government is doing in terms of setting up public health strategies to change the lifestyles of Indians, to curb the increasing rates of people suffering from heart problems. Unlike clinics for tuberculosis and programs like the Malaria Control Program, there is nothing of the sort in India. Gone are the days when heart diseases were considered to be an emerging problem – today it’s emerged as the biggest cause of deaths in India.

UNDERSTANDING TUMOURS AND THEIR DIFFERENT TYPES

A tumour is defined as an abnormal mass of tissue which can be full of fluid, or be entirely solid. Also known as Neoplasm, tumours do not necessarily mean cancer. There are three different types of tumours – benign (not cancerous), malignant (cancerous) or pre-malignant (pre-cancerous). Each of these types and subcategories are named specifically after the kind of tissue they appear in, or their shape.

How are Tumours Named?

The most popular way tumours are named is according to which part of the body they grow in or begin from (like breast cancer). Sometimes, they are named after the type of tissue or cell they originate from.

A majority of benign tumours and a few malignant tumours will have the suffix ‘oma’ at the end of their name. When a benign tumour and a malignant tumour share names, ‘sarcoma’ and ‘carcinoma’ are used to identify them. Like in the case of Fatty Tissue tumours, benign ones are called ‘lipoma’  while the malignant one is called ‘liposarcoma’.

What are Benign Tumours?

These tumours are non-cancerous and they rarely cause any serious medical complications or threaten one’s life span until and unless they grow inside a vital organ, or show a growth which is large enough to spread to the tissues nearby. They have a tendency to grow slowly and they generally stay put, meaning they very rarely spread to other parts of the body.

After surgery has been performed and they have been removed, benign tumours do not come back and remain non-cancerous, except in rare cases.

What are Malignant Tumours?

These tumours are cancerous in nature, which can start off in any one of the countless cells that resides within our body, thus making it nearly impossible to locate the exact source or time of the beginning of the cancer. Cancer cells have known to function and grow differently than normal cells, and their nucleus is different in appearance and size too as compared to the nucleus of normal cells.

Malignant tumours come in different shapes and sizes. They are known to grow at an abnormal and uncontrolled rate. These tumours can expand and grow upon or inside nearby tissues or vessels, thus interfering with the function of said cells or organs, potentially becoming life threatening.

In some cases, the cells from these tumours break off and will spread to other parts of the body (this process is known as metastasizing). This type of cancer is called Metastatic Cancer. These tumours are recurring – meaning they can come back even after being removed surgically or after destroying the cancer causing cells.

What are Pre-cancerous Tumours?

Just as the name suggests, these cells have the possibility of developing into cancer if they are not treated in time. They display abnormal cell growth. Many cells show minor changes and might eventually disappear without any treatment. Others are known to multiply and grow till they turn into cancer.

4 things to know about India’s next crown jewel, Medical Tourism

India is a huge magnet for attracting foreign patients for medical treatments. With general tourism on the rise, it is estimated that the volume of medical tourists worldwide could reach up to 5 million by 2016, attracting additional visitors to the country.

Medical tourism, more broadly health and wellness tourism, refers to the industry in which people from across the globe travel to other countries to get medical, dental and surgical care, and at the same time, visit the local attractions of that country. I want to share some of the key highlights of medical tourism in India–the next crown jewel–that could shape the future of India’s economy and health care.

1) Medical tourism market is estimated to be valued at $ 4 billion.

 Health care tourism has been a key growth sector for more than a decade. Growing insurance market, strong pharmaceutical industry, cheap international travel, and quality health care are increasingly making India a preferred tourist destination. India hosts about 1.27 million tourists from countries such as the US, UK, and Canada in addition to visitors from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China.

This market includes secondary players from the tourism industry who greatly benefit from visitors to India. The government estimates that the growth of health-related services will be more than 5 percent for the next 10 years and that should further attract more such visitors. Major corporations such as Tata, Fortis, Max, Wockhardt, and Apollo Hospitals have made significant investments in setting up modern hospitals and tourism-related services to cater to the new brand of visitors from abroad.

2) Tourists come to India for economic reasons and market attractiveness. 

Clearly, there are economic advantages for choosing English-speaking India for certain procedures. For example, a heart bypass procedure costs roughly $140,000 without any insurance in the US. The same procedure, however, costs only around $7,000 or Rs 3 lakh at one of India’s leading surgery centres.  Procedures such as hip and knee replacement, face lift, and gastric bypass are far more affordable in India, including the cost of travel and accommodation, compared to the US. Moreover, these cosmetic procedures are not covered by most insurance providers in Western countries. India has many top-notch centres for open-heart surgery and paediatric heart surgeries which are equipped with the latest equipment that are on par with these Western countries. India is also acutely aware of the quality perceptions of its visitors; many Indian hospitals that cater to foreign tourists meet the requirements of US health standards like Food and Drug Administration and Joint Commission Accreditation for hospitals, hoping to fight this notion.

India is also home to a number of alternative medicine techniques such as Ayurveda, Sidha, Unani, Yoga, Acupuncture and Homeopathy which are very popular among foreigners. Such treatment opportunities give India the edge over its competitors like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and UAE.

3) Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi are top destinations for foreign visitors. 

Based on the government’s statistics of foreign tourists for 2010, more than 55 percent of visitors went to medical centres in these three states alone. Quality hotels, added tourism opportunities, and high-quality hospital care are the biggest reasons for this trend.

4) Infrastructure and better health-related investments will decide the future. 

While all trends point towards an increasing demand for medical services in India, some key factors will determine whether medical tourism becomes India’s next crown jewel, like our Information Technology industry. Here’s a list of some factors:

•  Infrastructure investment by the government: The health industry as a whole has seen meagre growth as far as infrastructure is concerned. This has been primarily due to investments coming from the private players in the market. The government needs to step in and provide basic infrastructure services which will improve basic access to high quality centres.
•  Reducing barriers for visiting India for medical purposes: Currently, foreigners need the “M-Visa” to come to India for medical purposes. Obtaining the visa is a huge barrier for medical tourists wanting to come here. India should consider offering visa-on-arrival type of services and partner with medical and tourism providers to streamline administrative processes.
•  Raise quality standards to meet Western providers: Such partnerships will give confidence to foreign tourists to choose India over competitors like Malaysia and Singapore.
•  Market health tourism in Western countries: With the ever-growing need for cheaper health care and complex health insurance offerings in the US and UK, Indian hospitals could target the neglected populations of those countries and draw them here to provide a cheaper alternative. This could be a boon for both the Western economies and India’s.

About 102 Health Services

102 Health Services’ mission is to help improve human longevity by simplifying healthcare.

We’re leading the way with 102 Health Services – A doctor search engine which enables you to search on the basis of locality as well as the speciality of the doctor and 24 x 7 customer care facility through which customers can contact on board doctors for quick solutions or any other queries.

We also take pride in providing an app for the same as well as a medicine reminder system to help patients take their medicines on time.