Healthy Heart

What is Heart Disease?

Although heart disease is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart, it usually refers to coronary artery disease. When cholesterol accumulates in the coronary arteries the flow of blood is obstructed. As a result the oxygen supply to the heart is reduces and various symptoms including chest pain are experienced. High cholesterol diet, smoking, obesity, and stress are considered the most important factors in causing heart disease. More than 15 million people die of heart diease every year. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone. The incidence of heart disease has been rising in the developing countries as well. The World Health Organization predicts that heart disease would reach epidemic levels in many developing countries including Bangladesh unless immediate steps are taken.
Conventional Treatment and its Limitations

Under conventional treatment, medicine, angioplasty or bypass surgery is recommended for clearing away cholesterol and normalizing blood flow, depending to the extent of blockage. This treatment however, has some major limitations. It cannot prevent blockages from recurring: One of the most important risk factors in heart disease is stress. But any effective treatment of stress is usually absent in conventional treatment. As a result, when the patient resumes his old lifestyle following the surgery, he gradually develops various complicacies of the heart once again. Studies show that between 25 to 50% of the patients suffer from restenosis or recurrence of significant blockages within 4 to 6 months of an angioplasty. 1 in 20 people suffer from a second heart attack after surgery. 1 in 40 people suffer from stroke. A second bypass surgery increases this risk by 10 to 20 percent. Harmful side effects of medicine and surgery: Open heart surgery involves cutting the ribs open to access the heart. Needless to say, such a procedure takes a huge toll on the patient and diminishes his energy and vitality. Even angioplasty and the medicine that usually accompany it frequently give birth to complications such as hematoma, drop beats, fluctuations in blood pressure etc. Huge expense For many patients, bearing the cost of these procedures is a huge burden. The minimum cost of an angioplasty is roughly $15,000 and of a bypass surgery roughly $40,000 dollars. A recent edition of Davidson's Principles and Practices of Medicine clearly states that angioplasty and bypass surgery, while successfully treating symptoms, fail to have any impact on the survival rates of heart patients. PCI (coronary angioplasty & coronary artery bypass graft surgery) provides an effective symptomatic treatment but there is no evidence that it improves survival in patients with chronic stable angina. (p 586)
A New Approach

Experts have seen that a change in lifestyle and diet is more effective. For years it was believed that once a blockage was formed there was no way to treat it other than angioplasty or bypass surgery. Dr. Dean Ornish, a specialist from California, was the first to strike a blow to this conservative notion. While working as a specialist in a hospital in California, Dr Ornish noticed, to his amazement, that 30 to 50 percent of heart patients were being readmitted to the hospital with new blockages within four to six months of angioplasty or bypass. Later, influenced by the philosophy of Guru Swami Satchidananda, he decided to conduct research on the effect of yoga, low cholesterol diet, and meditation on heart disease. In 1987, he divided 48 heart patients into two groups of 28 and 20. The first group was given a low cholesterol diet and taught to practice meditation and yoga for a year. In addition, they were successfully motivated to cease smoking and encouraged to develop compassion and empathy. The 20 members of the other group were treated according the guidelines of the American Heart Association. After one year, it was seen that for the first group, blockage had not only stopped, but reversed. Blood circulation to the heart had also increased significantly. On the other hand, for those undergoing conventional treatment, blockage had increased significantly. A detailed report on Dr. Ornish’s experiment was published in the Journal of American Medical Association in 1998. This ground breaking work created a huge stir in the US. Dr. Ornish wrote a book called Program for Reversing Heart Disease describing the program and its astonishing impact, which instantly became a national best seller. In an article entitled Going Mainstream, the June 26 issue of Newsweek reported that after Dr. Dean Ornish published the results of his earlier study, Mutual, an insurance agency based in Omaha, funded a two year study in which 200 subscribers enrolled in Dr. Ornish’s program, which cost $5500 dollars, instead of reporting to hospitals for $ 15,000 angio-plasties or $40,000 bypass operations. 190 stuck with the program, of them, only one needed surgery. After this tremendous success, hospitals from all over the country sent teams to receive training in Dr. Ornish’s program. This process not only saves the cost of expensive operations, but also relieves the patient from side effects and costs of the medicines that patients have to take lifelong following a heart surgery. Ornish’s program has gained such widespread acceptance that it hardly qualifies as alternative anymore, it is considered part of the mainstream treatment of heart disease.

Quantum Heart Club

Quantum Heart Club helps prevent and cure heart disease by nurturing a positive attitude, meditation, healthy food habits, exercise and counseling. These seemingly simple lifestyle changes are immensely effective in addressing the root causes of heart disease.

Unlike traditional treatments it
1) Is inexpensive
2) Increases your energy level
3) Address the root causes, not symptoms
4) Prevents future blockages
5) Has actually reversed blocks

Orientation for Prevention and Cure of Heart Disease

To help you prevent and cure heart disease with only positive life-style changes, we have introduced a compact two day orientation called the Orientation for Prevention and Cure of Heart Disease. By participating in this two day orientation you will

# get a clear idea about heart disease; the types, risk factors and treatment options

# find out the role unhealthy attitudes and food habits play in causing heart disease

# identify the root cause of heart disease and uproot it with healing meditation

# learn yoga postures beneficial for the heart

# adopt a positive and appreciative attitude in order to prevent or reverse heart disease

Our Team

Coordinator Dr. Moniruzzaman MBBS, PGT (Pediatrics), BCS (*)	Medical Counselor Dr. Ahmed Murtoza Chowdhury MBBS, FCPS Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital
Dr. Sabrina Yasmin MBBS, FCPS ( Medicine, Final Part)	Dr. Ataur Rahman MBBS, PGT (Cardiology), PGT ( Medicine)
Dr. Kaniz Fatema MBBS. M.Phil ( Virology, Final Part)	Dr. Monjur E Fatema MBBS, MD ( Physiology, Part- 1)
Dr. Rumana Parvin MBBS, FCPS (Pediatrics, Final Part)	Dr. Abul Hossain MBBS, MS (Urology), FCPS (Urology, last part)
Dr. Ayesha Tahera MBBS. FCPS ( Pediatrics, last part)

বাংলা

Heart Club

1. A Healthy Attitude
2. Meditation
3. Food habits
4. Exercise
5. Counseling

Healthy Attitude: Our attitude, perspective, or life view has immense influence on our health. The course discuses how unhealthy and competitive attitude gives birth to stress and heart disease and guides us to a more positive and appreciative attitude. Freed from destructive stress and anxiety, we progress on the path of health and healing.

Meditation: The connection between the mind and the body is now well established. The more tranquil and joyful the mind, the healthier the heart. Numerous studies have shown that meditation helps prevent and reverse heart disease by keeping the mind peaceful and happy. The fact that meditation can cause atheroregression, or reversal of blockage of the coronary arteries mentioned in major textbooks of cardiology. In the Course for Prevention and Cure of Heart Disease we start practising four new meditations: listening to the heart, healing, thankfulness and self evaluation.

Food Habits: The course provides essential information on the health effects of various kinds of food and helps us develop food habits conducive to a healthy heart and overall health and vitality. Quantum Yoga: Quantum Yoga is a easy yet highly effective version of ancient yoga. The course trains us in the yoga postures especially beneficial for the heart, including, ujjibon, bhujangasana ( the cobra), half and complete shalbhasana ( the locust), pobonmukasana, gomukhasana ( the cow), ushrasana ( the camel), bajrasana, padmasana ( the lotus) and shabasna.

Counseling: The members of the club form a support group that get together every week. They share their joys and sorrows with each other and by doing so release the burden of negative emotions accumulated over the years. All counseling with specialists help them become positive and optimistic about their chances of recovery.

The member of the Quantum Heart Club get together every week for a follow-up and counselling. The program consists of
Discussion and Q & A session on relevant topics
Sharing of feelings and experiences
Counseling with specialist doctors
Medical check-up
Training in Quantum Yoga

Discussion and Q & A session : Each week, there is a lively discussion and Q & A session on topics related to heart disease and life in general.

Sharing of Feelings and Experiences: Each week, after they meditate, the members form groups and share there feelings and experiences regarding various points discusses in the Course for Prevention and Cure of Heart Disease. They relate their experiences in trying to follow the different guidelines of the course. Those who had not been following a particular guideline become inspired to do so by the example of those who had. The members also share their personal worries or causes of anger, sorrow, or guilt and thereby lighten the burden of these negative emotions. The sessions are moderated by a medical counselor.

One o one Counseling with Specialists: The members receive one-o-one counseling from specialist doctors and physicians. This gives them a chance to ask about topics they might not have understood before. The members can also receive counseling via phone if they want to.

Medical Check-up: Once a month, the members undergo a medical checkup including blood pressure, pulse and other relevant examinations. The results are recorded in the member's personal file. Medical counselling is provided based on their physical condition.

Training in Quantum Yoga: Once a month specialist yoga instructors train the members in yoga asanas beneficial for the heart under the supervision of medical counselors. Men and women receive the training in separate sessions.

Meditation for Heart Disease

Prevention

A 1987 survey showed that regular meditators are 87.3% less likely to be hospitalized due to heart disease. Meditation can help deal with all the major risk factors associated with heart disease, including:

High cholesterol level

High cholesterol level is one of the major predictors of heart attack. Meditation can bring abnormally high cholesterol levels down to normal. In a study conducted in 1970 researchers M J Cooper and M M Aygen divided 23 patients with high cholesterol into two groups of 12 and 11. The first group was taught how to meditate. After 11 months, it was found that the average cholesterol level of the meditation group had decreased from 255 to 225. (220 is considered the normal level). No such change was noticed in the control group.
Dr. Bernace, a physiologist from the Medical College of Georgia conducted a study on the 111 young volunteers and concluded that meditation can have the same effect as lipid reducing drugs. His presented a report in the annual conference of American Psychosomatic Society.
High blood pressure

Herbert Benson found more than three decades ago that blood pressure decreases during relaxation. Since then, hundreds of studies have shown that various types of meditation help in bringing elevated blood pressure down to normal.
For example, a 1994 study conducted by Lynden and Chambers found that the effect of mind-body treatments- including meditation, was comparable to drug treatments in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In another study conducted in 1997, Shapiro found that patients of hypertension who received 6 weeks of progressive muscle relaxation and other cognitive behavioral therapy required much less medicine than those who did not. Related references
Diabetes

Plenty of studies have shown that meditation helps bring down the blood glucose (sugar) levels of diabetic patients. For example, in 2008, Thai researcher Chaiopanont did a study with 50 type-2-diabetic patients whom he taught meditation after breakfast. The result revealed that meditation practice and self care help to lower the blood glucose level significantly in type-2-diabetic patients after having meal..
In another study, Rosenzweiq and others (2007) observed the HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) levels in the blood of diabetic patients. HbA1c is glucose-bound hemoglobin found in the blood of diabetic patients due to the excess glucose present in blood. Related references
Smoking cessation

In a study published in 2007, researcher Davis and others of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health conducted a study on the impact of mindfulness meditation on 18 smokers with an average smoking history of 19.9 cigarettes per day for 26.4 years. The participants quit smoking during the program. A biological test was taken after 6 weeks which confirmed that 10 out of the 18 participants (56%) had remained smoking abstinent. Researcher Leigh and others also concluded from their study that meditation helps to reduce alcohol intake and smoking. Related references
Obesity

Several studies have shown that meditation helps develop healthy eating habits. For example, A pilot study of 18 obese women, Jean Chrestler, director of the Center for the Study of Health, Religion and Spirituality at Indiana State University, found that mindfulness meditation helped reduce binges from an average of four per week to one and a half. Researcher Singh and others found in a study that meditation with exercise and healthy eating habit helps the young people with prader-willi syndrome to reduce weight. Prader-willi syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by excessive eating. Related references
Stress

Stress is one of the major risk factors associated with heart disease. Conventional treatments of heart disease do not include any effective remedy for stress.
Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon discovered 90 years ago that when we are stressed, our blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and breathing rate increases. In 1967, Dr. Herbert Benson, also from Harvard, found that the effect of meditation on our body is exactly opposite – i.e. it lessens our blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and breathing rate. He wrote a book entitled 'The Relaxation Response' – where he argued that meditators counter acted the stress induced 'fight or flight response' and achieved a calmer, happier state.
Since then, research has proved again and again the meditation is one of the most effective ways to combat stress. Researchers have studied the impact of meditation on the stress levels of different groups of people, including students, critical care nurses, incarcerated people, war veterans etc. and found that meditation helps reduce stress in all these groups. Related references

Cure

Research shows that while conventional treatments can ease some symptoms of heart disease, they cannot reduce the rate of heart attacks. But meditation can. In a meta analysis of 23 previous studies Professors Linden, Stossel and Maurice found that adding lifestyle changes to standard treatment of cardiac disease reduces the number of deaths from heart attacks by 41% and the chance of heart attacks recurring by 46%.

Why is that?

As early as 1960s, two cardiologists from San Francisco, Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, showed that there was a link between 'Type A' behavior, such as anger and impatience, and heart disease.
After years of research American cardiologist Dr. Crichton demonstrated that heart attacks are primarily caused by psychological reasons. He says a blocked coronary artery does not necessarily lead to a heart attack.
During the Korean War autopsies used to be conducted on the dead soldiers. To their amazement, doctors found that nearly 70% of the dead soldiers had advanced stage of atherosclerosis, i.e. their coronary arteries were heavily blocked. Even 19 year old soldiers were no exceptions. Dr. Crichton raised the question that if blockages in coronary arteries inevitably caused heart attacks, then why did these soldiers die of gun shots and not heart attacks ? The truth is some people have run marathons with their coronary artery 85% blocked; others have died of heart attacks with no blockages whatsoever.
Psychological factors, such as a person's perspective or view of life, play a major role in every stage of heart disease, from the formation of blocks to the occurrence of heart attacks. In order to restore health, the first thing we need is to embrace a healthy world view. And meditation brings about this change in world view.