Many people believe that deep breathing exercises before bed can help prevent heart attacks. However, according to Dr. Krishan Yadav, a cardiologist at Yatharth Hospital, Noida Extension (India), deep breathing exercises can help calm the mind, body and are beneficial for cardiovascular health, but cannot replace medical measures, nutrition or a healthy lifestyle to protect cardiovascular health.
Does deep breathing help prevent heart attacks?
Dr. Krishan Yadav said that a heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, often due to plaque buildup in the coronary artery. Although sleep helps reduce heart rate and blood pressure, risk factors can still lead to a heart attack, even when the body is resting.
Certain conditions such as arrhythmia (abnormal heart rate), uncontrolled high blood pressure, or sleep apnea (when breathing stops for a moment) can increase the risk of heart attack. In this case, the heart has to work extra to provide oxygen, causing additional stress on the body.
Deep breathing can activate the epigastric nervous system, helping to reduce blood pressure due to stress, but there is no scientific evidence that this exercise can prevent heart attacks on its own, especially for people at high risk.
How to incorporate deep breathing into cardiovascular care plans
Dr. Yadav recommends that effective heart attack prevention requires a comprehensive approach, including:
Regular health monitoring: Check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Healthy diet: Eat less saturated fat, more fiber and vegetables.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps improve cardiovascular health.
Control stress: In addition to deep breathing, meditation and yoga also help reduce stress.
Avoid smoking and limit alcohol: These are risk factors for heart disease.
Deep breathing can be a support tool in cardiovascular care strategies, but other measures should not be replaced. To effectively prevent heart attacks, it is necessary to combine many synchronous health care factors.
