Traffic Delays in the cities is a major risk factor for heart disease

Dr Harold Gunatillake

Known risk factors for heart disease are obesity, stress, consuming fatty and starchy meals, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, genetic factors and so on.

We forget to realise that the worst risk factor for heart disease is the frustration of road traffic hold- ups, or as we call it ‘bumper to bumper’ situation on the main city roads in Colombo and outskirts

If you drive on Galle Road from Wellawatte to Mount Lavinia during office hours you could take over an hour to get to your destination, which normally should take 15 minutes.

You get annoyed, frustrated, angry, fatigued and disappointed when you can’t reach your destination in time, as a daily repetitive occurrence.

Most car owners can’t afford to have drivers, and you need to self- drive to work every day. No person in a decent suit will ever travel by train: Trains are packed like sardines, people breathing to each other with minimal ventilation. Commuters even have to travel on foot boards, commonly seen on Southern railway lines.

Road pollution from the vans and buses are still rampant, in spite of the annual emission checks on vehicles being compulsory

Noise pollution on the roads is as bad as the traffic hold-ups. Tuks tuks drivers and private buses are the worst culprits. They keep on horning whether necessary or not, to get rid of their frustrations. Their erratic driving making their own road rules makes it more frustrating for the law abiding good drivers.

It has been proved that spending over an hour on the road is linked to heart disease. In Sri Lanka statistics are not available, but if you check on the patients in cardiac units they are invariably all daily road uses.

Life goes on, nevertheless.
Good advice by Dr harold