Matters of the Heart!

As anticipated, the political masters of Pakistan have finally directed its national cricket team to lift the boycott and play India on 15 February, 2026, as scheduled in Colombo . The Masters must've thought the money at stake is too lucrative to continue indulging in such kind of grumpy politics. Of course, they had imposed some pre-conditions that included making the 'handshake' a mandatory protocol, but the ICC looked the other way. So, the PCB takes it as protecting the 'spirit of cricket'. The Indian cricket board , the sponsors, the TV channels and millions of fans who do not necessarily mix patriotism with sports, if it's cricket in particular, must be deliriously ecstatic that all the revenues and hype and excitement shall be there for harvest thr oughout the ICC Men's T20 World Cup-2026 , co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka . Most of the Indians fans must also be ecstatic to have their heroes go on vanquishing the enemy neighbor and humiliating t...

Matters of the Heart!

True. Incidence of heart disease has been increasing world over, particularly in India. Most common risk factors are: high cholesterol with high triglycerides, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, junk food habits and of course, smoking and alcoholism.

It's okay to warn people about risk factors. So that they become careful and apply moderation in everything they do or eat.

But, studies based on selected samples and on a selected time period are increasing by leaps and bounds. They are mostly hypothetical and speculative. Some random samples cannot be binding for all. So, they mislead and confuse people. And, above all, they intend to terrorize people without realizing the simple fact that a negative bend of mind could also be harmful for the heart health.

Recently I read about such a study in a newspaper. The study says that four hours of TV watching a day could increase the risk of heart disease by more than ten percent over the normal risk. Reduce the hours and reduce the risk. The study says that human body is not suitable for continued TV watching posture.

Now, if one more such study says that sitting and working in offices increases heart disease risk considerably then what would happen! Of course, you take breaks or even walks in between office hours; but then, you may do it during TV watching too or in any kind of sedentary activity.

Heart! Don't terrorize!