Gerard Bodwekar had a heart attack when she was only 36. The main cause for heart attacks is smoking. Gerard started smoking when she was in class X. Today, he brought four stents in his heart because most of his blocked arteries.
"I started smoking when I was in class X. What began with a rod of five friends soon graduated to five cigarettes per day the time I started my business, I was smoking 12 cigarettes per day .. It has become an addiction. If I am waiting for someone, I need a cigarette in my hand, "said Gerard.
On World No Tobacco Day, Gerard said that he left smoking in 2009 after he suffered a heart attack. "I always though that smoking causes cancer. I never associated smoking with heart disease," said Gerard who admitted that he left smoking after a shocker of a heart attack.
"It's not easy but a heart attack taught me some lessons in discipline. Now I can jog for an hour without losing my breath," said Gerard. He said that it is easy to give in to pressure and take to smoking, but we have to fight the side effects alone.
Chief of cardiology at Apollo Hospital, Dr Sameer Dani, said that smoking is one of the major risk factor for heart disease. "A study we conducted revealed that smoking is a major cause in 40% of men under 45 years who suffered a heart attack."
Cardiologist at the Psychiatric Hospital Care, Dr. Jay Shah, said that nicotine weakens the heart arteries causes inflammation that causes the rupture of plaque in arteries. "Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease and even one cigarette is harmful to people who pre-disposed to heart disease," says Dr. Shah.
"I started smoking when I was in class X. What began with a rod of five friends soon graduated to five cigarettes per day the time I started my business, I was smoking 12 cigarettes per day .. It has become an addiction. If I am waiting for someone, I need a cigarette in my hand, "said Gerard.
On World No Tobacco Day, Gerard said that he left smoking in 2009 after he suffered a heart attack. "I always though that smoking causes cancer. I never associated smoking with heart disease," said Gerard who admitted that he left smoking after a shocker of a heart attack.
"It's not easy but a heart attack taught me some lessons in discipline. Now I can jog for an hour without losing my breath," said Gerard. He said that it is easy to give in to pressure and take to smoking, but we have to fight the side effects alone.
Chief of cardiology at Apollo Hospital, Dr Sameer Dani, said that smoking is one of the major risk factor for heart disease. "A study we conducted revealed that smoking is a major cause in 40% of men under 45 years who suffered a heart attack."
Cardiologist at the Psychiatric Hospital Care, Dr. Jay Shah, said that nicotine weakens the heart arteries causes inflammation that causes the rupture of plaque in arteries. "Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease and even one cigarette is harmful to people who pre-disposed to heart disease," says Dr. Shah.
