Daily psychosocial stressors such as financial worries, heavy workload, job insecurity, relationship problems, personal conflict, or the pressures of looking after an ailing parent, child or partner can lead to early death.
Chronic stress can cause depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. It also suppresses immunity and lowers the body’s ability to both fight and recover from illnesses.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) protects against heart disease by scavenging cholesterol from the bloodstream and artery walls and taking it to the liver for disposal. HDL levels must be more than 45 mg/dl for men and over 55 mg/dl for women.
A number of total fats and carbohydrates you ingest affects blood cholesterol levels more than cholesterol from dietary sources such as red meat, dairy, eggs, shellfish and saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils such as lard, palm oil and coconut oil.
Close to one in three people in India has high blood pressure, which is directly responsible for 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all heart disease deaths in the country.