Asian Indians are considered to have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world, despite their healthy and often vegetarian diet, and sadly the incidence is rising among younger people. Keeping that in mind, Indian Medical Association of New England is presenting well-known cardiologist Dr. Salil Midha, who will talk about “Heart Disease: Prevention and Management: An Indian Perspective” at the first mega Indian and South Asian Health Expo on April 27 at the Marriott Hotel in Newton, Mass.
Organized by IMANE and INDIA New England News, the day-long free event will bring the area’s major hospitals and health-care providers together with the Indian-American and South Asian communities in New England. Dr. Midha will speak at 10:30 am.
“Dr. Midha will review the demographics of heart disease in India and United States,” said IMANE President Dr. Manju Sheth. “He will also discuss in detail about the risks, especially to Indian population and compare the difference in males and females. In addition, he will explain the current management and prevention of risk factors and heart disease.”
Dr. Midha graduated from Rohtak Medical College in Haryana in India. After moving to the United States, he completed his residency in New York and Jersey City Medical center, and completed the cardiology fellowship at the Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard affiliated program in Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. Midha started his private practice in Melrose, Mass., in 1981 and initiated the Cardiac Cath lab in Melrose Wakefield hospital. He is the past president of the medical staff at the Hospital and is the current chief of cardiology, director of the Cath Lab and Cardiac Rehab Program at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital. During the past 21 years, he has done charitable work to help the poor in India and Paraguay, and has implanted over 350 pacemakers free to the poor with donations form the companies for over $3 million.
In addition, Dr. Midha is president of the Boston Cardiac Foundation. In 2013, his team plans to visit India in February, Paraguay in April and Ethiopia, Africa, in September.
The Health Expo is supported by the India Society of Worcester, Indian Americans of Lexington, Vision Aid, Ekal Vidyalay, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England, Indian American Forum for Political Education, Saheli Boston and the United India Association.
Health Tip of the Week
Here are health tips of the week from readers of the Health Expo event page on Facebook. Neither IMANE nor INE are responsible for these tips. Please consult your doctor.
Submitted by Dr. Sapna Aggarwal:
Indicator of health: Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. To determine if you have a healthy ratio, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button. Women with waist—hip ratios of more than 0.8, and men with more than 1.0, are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution. This indicator is much more useful than BMI.
Submitted by Vidya Raman:
Health recipe for kale: Take 1-2 tsp. oil, flutter sarsoon, 1 tsp. udad dal, then last 1/2 tsp. methi dana, hing a pinch of haldi and one red chilli (2 for spicy). Add kale and 1/2 cup of thoor dal, add water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Add salt, garnish with kadi patta, and yum, eat with rice, roti or just like that.
You can add your health tips on the Health Expo event page on Facebook.