Saturday, September 23 2006 12:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Madurai: President A P J Abdul Kalam yesterday (Sept 22, 2006) suggested that members of the World Congress on Clinical and Preventive Cardiology extend the 'Healthy lifestyle Intervention experiment' conducted at Mount Abu in Rajasthan to their respective countries so that the benefit received by a limited number of people could be shared by all.

Inagurating the World Congress on Clinical and Preventive cardiology at Mount Abu through video conferencing from here, he said the experiment, which included a vegetarian diet, aerobic exercise and stress management through rajyoga meditation, was simple and rudimentary.

The outcome of the healthy life style intervention trial on 112 patients with advanced cardio vascular problem was rewarding, he said.

"Within seven days of the commencement of the intervention, the requirement of drugs prescribed by their cardiologists decreased markedly and symptoms like chest pain and uneasiness reduced. Their capacity to exercise also improved dramatically. In fact some patients were even able to swim," he said quoting the studies.

Expressing concern over the fact that about five million suffer from heart attacks each year in India, including 1.5 million which are fatal, Kalam said eating Indian food and adopting a healthy lifestyle have proved their efficacy in promoting sustainable healthy hearts.