❤️ World Heart Day 2026

Don’t Miss a Beat — Listen to Your Heart

On World Heart Day, 29 September, let us make one important promise to ourselves: never ignore a symptom that could be related to the heart.

The World Heart Federation’s 2026 campaign, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” focuses on recognising the warning signs of cardiovascular disease, protecting heart health and acting early.

At Gujar International Ayurveda Foundation’s Ayurveda Ashraya Hospital, we believe that heart care should be individualised, responsible and holistic. Ayurveda can have an important supportive and complementary role in appropriate patients—particularly in lifestyle modification, diet, stress management, rehabilitation and symptom-oriented care—while necessary cardiology evaluation and evidence-based modern treatment should not be delayed or discontinued.

❤️ What Are Heart Diseases?

“Heart disease” is not one single condition. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels. Common conditions include:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)

• Heart attack / acute coronary syndrome

• Heart failure

• Hypertension and hypertensive heart disease

• Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias)

• Valvular heart disease

• Cardiomyopathies

• Rheumatic heart disease

• Congenital heart disease

• Peripheral arterial disease

Cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading cause of death, and many cardiovascular events can be prevented or their risk substantially reduced through control of modifiable risk factors.

🚨 Don't Ignore These Symptoms

Heart disease does not always announce itself with severe chest pain. Symptoms may be subtle, intermittent or mistaken for acidity, anxiety, respiratory problems or simple tiredness.

Common symptoms include:

❤️ Chest pain, pressure or discomfort

🫁 Breathlessness, particularly during exertion or when lying down

💓 Palpitations or irregular heartbeat

😴 Unusual tiredness or fatigue

🚶 Reduced exercise tolerance

😵 Dizziness or fainting

🦵 Swelling of the feet or ankles

💦 Unexplained sweating

🤢 Nausea or indigestion-like discomfort

💪 Pain or discomfort extending to the arm, shoulder, back, neck or jaw

Women, older adults and people with diabetes may sometimes have less typical symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue, indigestion-like discomfort or back/jaw pain without prominent chest pain.

🚑 CHEST PAIN? DON'T WAIT.

If there is new or severe chest pain/pressure, particularly with breathlessness, sweating, nausea, faintness or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, treat it as an emergency.

Do not wait for an Ayurvedic consultation or attempt to manage a suspected heart attack at home.

Seek emergency medical care immediately. A suspected heart attack requires prompt assessment, typically including an ECG and cardiac troponin testing, with further treatment according to the clinical findings.

🔍 How Are Heart Diseases Diagnosed?

Diagnosis depends on the symptoms, medical history, examination and suspected condition.

Basic assessment

• Blood pressure

• Pulse and oxygen saturation

• Cardiovascular examination

• Weight/BMI

• Personal and family history

• Smoking/tobacco history

• Diabetes and hypertension assessment

Common investigations

ECG – evaluates the electrical activity and rhythm of the heart.

Echocardiography (2D Echo) – evaluates heart chambers, valves, pumping function and structural abnormalities.

Blood investigations

• Lipid profile

• Blood glucose / HbA1c

• CBC where clinically indicated

• Renal and liver function when relevant

• Electrolytes

• Cardiac biomarkers such as troponin when acute coronary syndrome is suspected.

Other investigations when indicated

• Chest X-ray

• Exercise/stress testing

• Holter monitoring

• CT coronary angiography

• Conventional coronary angiography

• Cardiac CT/MRI

• Other specialist investigations

The appropriate test depends on the clinical question; no single test diagnoses every heart condition.

🩺 Different Conditions Can Produce Similar Symptoms

This is why self-diagnosis is risky.

Chest pain may be caused by:

• Coronary artery disease

• Acute coronary syndrome

• Pericarditis

• Gastroesophageal reflux/acidity

• Musculoskeletal pain

• Pulmonary conditions

• Anxiety/panic

• Other causes

Breathlessness may occur with:

• Heart failure

• Ischemic heart disease

• Arrhythmias

• Valvular disease

• Asthma/COPD

• Anaemia

• Pulmonary disease

• Deconditioning

• Anxiety and other conditions

Fatigue may be associated with:

• Heart disease

• Anaemia

• Thyroid disorders

• Diabetes

• Sleep disorders

• Chronic respiratory disease

• Medication effects

• Psychological stress

• Other systemic illnesses

The same symptom can have very different causes. Proper evaluation comes first.

🌿 Where Does Ayurveda Fit Into Heart Care?

Ayurveda has a holistic approach to health, with emphasis on diet, lifestyle, daily routine, physical activity, mental wellbeing and individual constitution.

In appropriately selected patients, Ayurvedic care may be used as a complementary component of an integrated care plan, particularly for:

🌿 Lifestyle modification

Guidance regarding appropriate food habits, daily routine, sleep, physical activity and weight management.

🧘 Stress & mental wellbeing

Relaxation practices, yoga and other appropriate mind-body approaches may form part of supportive care.

🍃 Diet and metabolic health

Individualised dietary guidance can support management of cardiovascular risk factors alongside conventional care.

🌿 Symptom-oriented supportive care

For selected patients who continue to experience symptoms such as fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance or breathlessness, after appropriate medical evaluation, an Ayurvedic physician may consider supportive treatment according to the individual's condition.

❤️ Long-term wellbeing

Ayurveda can contribute to a broader approach focused on sustainable lifestyle changes and quality of life.

Research on Ayurveda and cardiovascular disease is still evolving. Existing reviews do not establish Ayurvedic herbal medicines as substitutes for proven cardiovascular treatments, and stronger clinical evidence is needed for many specific interventions.

Therefore, our approach should be:

“Ayurveda + appropriate modern medical care — together, when clinically appropriate.”

💊 WHAT ABOUT MODERN HEART MEDICINES?

If you have been prescribed medicines for:

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• High cholesterol

• Coronary artery disease

• Heart failure

• Arrhythmia

• Previous heart attack

• Other cardiovascular conditions

Do not stop, reduce or replace them on your own.

Modern cardiovascular medicines and procedures can be lifesaving. WHO specifically emphasises appropriate medicines and timely management for cardiovascular disease.

If you wish to add Ayurveda, discuss all Ayurvedic medicines and supplements with your treating physicians, because some herbal products can interact with conventional medicines. Communication between practitioners is particularly important in patients with cardiovascular disease.

❤️ WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR A HEALTHIER HEART?

Start with the fundamentals:

🥗 Eat wisely

More vegetables, fruits, whole grains and appropriate protein; reduce excessive salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.

🚶 Stay physically active

Choose activity appropriate for your age and medical condition.

🚭 Avoid tobacco

Smoking and tobacco exposure significantly increase cardiovascular risk.

🩺 Know your numbers

Regularly monitor blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol when appropriate.

⚖️ Maintain a healthy weight

😴 Sleep adequately

🧘 Manage stress

💊 Take prescribed medicines correctly

🩺 Get evaluated early

Do not wait until symptoms become severe.

These measures are central to cardiovascular prevention.

🌿 OUR MESSAGE AT AYURVEDA ASHRAYA HOSPITAL

At Ayurveda Ashraya Hospital, we do not believe that every symptom should simply be labelled as “heart disease” or treated without proper assessment.

Instead:

Listen → Assess → Identify the likely cause → Coordinate appropriate care → Individualise treatment → Follow up

For patients who have already undergone appropriate cardiac evaluation and continue to experience symptoms or require support with lifestyle and wellbeing, Ayurvedic care may be considered as part of a coordinated, patient-centred approach.

Our goal is not merely to focus on a single symptom, but to understand the person, their lifestyle, their condition and their overall wellbeing.

❤️ THIS WORLD HEART DAY…

DON'T MISS A BEAT.

DON'T IGNORE YOUR SYMPTOMS.

DON'T DELAY PROPER EVALUATION.

If you are experiencing persistent breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, reduced exercise tolerance or other symptoms after appropriate cardiac evaluation and treatment, visit us for an Ayurvedic consultation to explore whether supportive, individualised Ayurvedic care can be incorporated into your overall health plan.

Come once. Let us understand your symptoms, your health history and your expectations—and guide you toward an appropriate care pathway.

🏥 Ayurveda Ashraya Hospital

Gujar International Ayurveda Foundation

Dr. Maheshkumar S. GujarBAMS, M.S. (Ay.), M.Sc.-CND, MA-SKT, Ph.D.

Dr. Rakeshkumar S. GujarBAMS, M.S. (Ay.), M.Sc.-CND, MA-SKT, Ph.D.

Dr. Sandhya M. GujarBAMS

Dr. Keerthi R. GujarBAMS, CYS

📞 Appointments: 08352 318471📲 WhatsApp / Emergency: +91 733 833 9397

📍 S.S. Road, Vijayapura📍 Ganesh Nagar, Vijayapura📍 Malleshwaram, Bengaluru

Traditional Wisdom • Personalised Care • Healthier Living

Important: This article is for public education and does not replace emergency medical assessment, cardiology consultation or prescribed treatment.

The World Heart Federation observes World Heart Day every 29 September, and its 2026 campaign is “Don’t Miss a Beat.”