Three to Five Fold Increase Risk of Heart Attack And Death Amongst South Asians
According to Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Three to Five Fold Increase Risk of Heart Attack And Death Amongst South Asians.
A South Asian friend of mine recently told me that his father and brother in law passed away because of heart attack. As in any culture, there seems to be trends of pre-dominant diseases, amongst South Asians heart attach is one of predominant silent killers.
The only criticism that I have received so far about current resources is that we cannot take a generic solution and translate it to fit the needs of a particular ethnicity without understanding it. Any work in the right direction is a good start.
There are several resources to learn about decreasing the risk of heart attack.
Following are resources from Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada:
This brochure covers the risk factors for heart disease and stroke (1-2 pages for each risk factor), warning signs for heart attack and stroke, as well as the importance of being trained in CPR/AED.
Public Service Announcements
The following television and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) address the largest concerns affecting the heart health of the South Asian communities. Available in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu, the PSA topics are CPR, Ethnicity Factors, Healthy Eating, Heart Attack Warning Signs and Physical Activity.
Watch the Videos:
English versions
Hindi versions
Punjabi versions
Tamil versions
Urdu versions
Listen to the radio:
Videos
The Story of Every Heart
Featuring the original serial, Dil Dil Ki Kahani, this video follows the story of Raj and his family as they learn about their risk factors and warning signs for heart disease and stroke. People of South Asian descent are at a greater risk of heart disease and stroke, at a much younger age, than the general population. This video covers the importance of healthy eating, physical activity and being smoke free to prevent heart disease and stroke. Choose from 5 languages; Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu or English. Running time: 23 minutes.
Watch the video:
Hindi
Punjabi
Urdu
Tamil
English
Ashok’s Story
This video tells the true story of Ashok, a South Asian family man as he prepares for, undergoes and recovers from, triple bypass surgery at only 39 years of age. It features actual footage from his cardiac surgery. English only. Running time: 14 minutes.
| Ashok’s Story (English) | Ashok’s Story (Muslim Community version with introduction by Imam Yusuf Badat and Imam Habeeb Alli)The Warning Signs of Stroke video covers the 5 signs of stroke and how to respond. The video is 30 seconds in length. |
Watch the video:
Hindi Version
Punjabi Version
Tamil Version
Urdu Version
Get Your Blood Pressure Under Control
Do you know your numbers?
Almost half of people with high blood pressure do not know they have it. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because there are usually no symptoms. High blood pressure can double or even triple your risk of heart disease or stroke and increase your risk of kidney disease. Whether you are young or old, male or female, have your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional at least once every two years.
Know and control your blood pressure. If you have been diagnosed with, or are at increased risk for, high blood pressure (hypertension) then this resource will help you manage it.
Punjabi (PDF, 4,536 KB]
English (PDF,968 KB)
French (PDF, 873 KB)
Interactive e-tools
Heart & Stroke Action plans designed to help you manage your health. With these interactive and easy-to-use e-tools, you’ll be able to set and achieve goals to manage your blood pressure or achieve a healthy weight and keep track of important details such as medications and appointments. The first step is to take the assessment in order to be directed to the plan that’s right for you. The assessment is based on well-researched science. It’s free, confidential and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
My Blood Pressure Action Plan™
Interactive tools to track your blood pressure readings, set goals, access useful information and more. Take the assessment
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