In a recent Pazcare Heart Health webinar, Dr. Asmin Sha explained the warning signs, risk factors and preventive steps that working professionals should know about. She also discussed how everyday habits such as work stress, long hours, sitting for long periods, poor eating habits and lack of sleep can affect heart health over time. The session focused on simple, practical changes employees can make to protect their heart health and reduce common risk factors.
Most employees spend a large part of their day at work. That makes workplace habits an important part of their overall health.
Some of the common risk factors she sees in a corporate setting include:
The webinar also highlighted data showing that 77% of corporate workers experience work-related stress every month, and 57% of those people say it negatively affects their lives.
A deadline, a long meeting or a heavy workload can trigger the body's natural stress response. She explained that when we are under stress, hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline increase. This can raise blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate. The problem is when stress becomes a regular part of everyday life and there is little time for the body to recover. How we manage stress also matters. She explained that healthy habits such as exercise, good sleep and meditation can help manage stress. Relying on alcohol or unhealthy food can make things worse.
For many employees, a workday can mean sitting at a desk for several hours with very little movement. The webinar highlighted sedentary habits and low movement as important workplace risk factors. Long working hours can make the situation worse because employees may have less time for exercise or even basic movement during the day. Employees do not necessarily need to make changes to start moving more. She suggested taking short movement breaks during the workday. For example, employees can get up and walk for a few minutes after sitting for around 30 minutes. She also recommended making time for about 30 minutes of mindful walking or exercise each day.
A busy workday can make it easy to rely on packaged food, takeaways or quick snacks. But Dr. Asmin Sha pointed out that looking at just one label is not enough. For example, a food labelled “zero cholesterol” is not automatically a heart-healthy choice. Other things such as saturated fat, trans fat and sodium also matter. She recommended choosing more whole foods instead of focusing only on whether a product contains cholesterol.
For employees, this can start with simple changes:
Dr. Asmin Sha also talked about the importance of meal planning because employees are more likely to make convenient food choices when they have not planned what they are going to eat.
Sleep is often one of the first things to suffer when work gets busy. Long working hours can push bedtime later, reduce recovery time and make it harder to maintain a regular routine. She explained that when we do not get enough quality sleep, the body does not get enough time to recover. She recommended prioritising good-quality sleep and building an earlier, more consistent sleep routine.
Some of the practical steps she suggested include:
Some employees may turn to smoking, alcohol or unhealthy food to deal with work stress. But these habits can add to existing health risks instead of helping the body recover from stress. This is why workplace wellness should not focus only on exercise challenges. Employees also need support around stress management, sleep, nutrition and other everyday health habits.
Symptoms such as:
She advised that people experiencing concerning or sudden symptoms should seek immediate medical evaluation rather than waiting for them to pass.
Some of the common tests used to assess heart and metabolic health:
Blood pressure monitoring is one of the basic checks. It is important because high blood pressure may not produce obvious symptoms. Regular checks can help identify a problem earlier.
A complete lipid profile can look at:
Fasting glucose and HbA1C are also part of the basic screening tests discussed in the webinar. HbA1C gives an indication of blood sugar control over roughly the previous three months.
An ECG records the electrical activity of the heart. It can show things such as heart rhythm and whether the heartbeat is regular or irregular. But an ECG is a snapshot of what is happening at that point in time, so it does not provide a complete picture of every possible heart problem.
A TMT, or treadmill test, looks at how the heart responds to exercise. During the test, the heart is monitored while the person exercises on a treadmill. It can help doctors see whether exercise brings on certain symptoms or changes in heart rhythm.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It can help doctors look at the heart chambers, pumping function, valves and movement of the heart muscle.
The webinar also discussed tests such as:
hsCRP should not be treated as a cardiac risk marker on its own and these tests need to be considered together and interpreted in the right context.
There are several barriers that can make it difficult for employees to maintain healthier routines:
Employees can start with smaller changes.
Take short breaks from the desk. Walk for a few minutes between long periods of sitting.
Around 30 minutes of mindful walking or exercise each day can help support heart health.
Meal preparation can make it easier to choose healthier food during a busy workweek.
Going to bed earlier, reducing gadget use before bed and creating time to relax can help make sleep a priority.
Exercise, meditation, deep breathing and good sleep can be healthier ways to deal with work stress than relying on alcohol or unhealthy food.
World Heart Day is a useful reminder to talk about cardiovascular health. As Dr. Asmin Sha explained during the webinar, everyday choices such as movement, sleep, food and stress management can play an important role in long-term health. For employers, this means looking at employee wellness as a long-term effort rather than a one-time campaign. For employees, it can be as simple as starting with one change: taking more breaks from the desk, going for a daily walk, improving sleep or paying attention to regular health checks.
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Heart disease doesn’t just affect your heart, it impacts your entire lifestyle. It can lead to frequent doctor visits, fatigue, mental stress, and reduced ability to work or exercise.
The most effective activities combine resistance and strength training to preserve muscle mass, structured stress management practices like guided breathing and mindfulness, consistent sleep hygiene, and nutrition guidance that emphasizes whole foods, adequate protein, and reduced processed and starchy foods. Preventive screening that catches abnormal lipid markers early is equally important, since heart-healthy behavior change is most effective when it targets a specific, known risk profile rather than generic advice.
Your heart is a vital organ that pumps blood and oxygen to every part of your body. Without wellness, meaning proper nutrition, regular movement, and stress management your heart has to work harder, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, blockages, and even heart failure.
Heart health awareness helps people recognize the early warning signs of heart disease and understand the lifestyle choices that increase risk—like stress, poor diet, smoking, or lack of exercise.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide even among young adults. Maintaining heart health helps prevent serious issues like heart attacks, strokes, and chronic fatigue.
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