Prevalence of Traditional Risk Factors in First-Degree Relatives of Patients With Established Cardiovascular Disease.

INTRODUCTION: World Health Organization (WHO)/International Society of Hypertension (ISH) risk prediction charts are useful for predicting 10-year combined myocardial infarction and stroke risk (fatal and non-fatal). Hence the current study was conducted to assess the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease among adults in Ahmedabad, India. AIMS: The primary aim of the study was to assess the cardiovascular risk among first-degree relatives of patients attending the outpatient clinic. Also, to create awareness regarding assessment of cardiovascular risk among the studied group. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 372 first-degree relatives of patients at an out-patient cardiology clinic present in Vadaj, Ahmedabad. The WHO/ISH risk prediction chart for South-East Asia Region D (SEAR D) was used for calculating the 10-year cardiovascular risk. RESULTS: A maximum (80.10%) of the study participants were in the low-risk (<10%) category followed by 8.33% for moderate-risk (10-20%), 7.25% for moderately high-risk (20-30%), 2.42% for high-risk (30-40%) and 1.88% for very high-risk (>40%). CONCLUSION: WHO/ISH risk prediction charts provide a quick and effective way to assess and categorize the population in a low-resource setting which in turn helps in delivering focused intervention to the high-risk groups.

Humming (Simple Bhramari Pranayama) as a Stress Buster: A Holter-Based Study to Analyze Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Parameters During Bhramari, Physical Activity, Emotional Stress, and Sleep.

Objective In this study, our goal was to understand the comparative impact of humming, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep on several heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, including the stress index (SI), and to assess the effectiveness of humming (simple Bhramari) as a stress buster based on the HRV parameters. Methods This pilot study assessed the long-term HRV parameters of 23 participants in terms of four activities: humming (simple Bhramari), physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep. The single-channel Holter device measured the readings, and data was analyzed using Kubios HRV Premium software for time and frequency-domain HRV parameters, including the stress index. Regarding statistical analysis, single-factor ANOVA followed by paired t-test was used to compare the results of HRV parameters "during" the four activities to understand if humming generates the outcome to enhance the autonomic nervous system. Results Our findings revealed that humming generates the lowest stress index compared to all three other activities (physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep). Several additional HRV parameters also supported the positive impact on the autonomic nervous, equivalent to stress reduction. Conclusions Humming (simple Bhramari) can be an effective stress-buster based on the assessment of several HRV parameters during its practice and in comparison with other activities. A regular daily humming routine can help enhance the parasympathetic nervous system and slow down sympathetic activation.