IGI Logo

 The two-day national convention of cardiologists and heart specialists ended here on Sunday, expressing deep concern over the alarming rise in the incidence of heart ailments, and claiming that advanced technological interventions can be life saviours for heart patients.

More than 300 doctors from across the country joined the deliberations. Experts said that not all heart attacks could be attributed to love stories gone awry or other shocking incidents of life. More than these, it was the modern life styles and eating habits that were giving an avoidable boost to increased incidence of heart diseases, they said.

Experts said blockages in the arteries of the heart were increasing due to smoking, consumption of tobacco, obesity, high-fat food, high cholesterol as well as continuous use of TV and mobile, lack of physical activity, and a family history of the patients.

"In such a situation, we all must consume a low-fat diet. Walk four kms daily and include Yoga-Pranayama in life regularly so that the heart remains healthy and fit," said Dr R.R. Kasliwal, world-renowned cardiologist and chairman of Vedanta, on the first day of the two-day National Conference 'Cardiology Agra Live 3.0'.

The conference was organised by Agra Intervention Cardiology Society at Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton, Fatehabad Road on Coronary Artery Disease on Saturday.

Organising and Scientific Secretary of the conference, Dr Suvir Gupta, while giving tips to keep the heart healthy, said there was no need to take much stress. "Don't take work pressure. In the hustle and bustle of life, also take time to relax. Reduce your stress with exercise. Eat limited food and don't smoke at all.

He said that even if heart disease occurs, consult a doctor immediately. Nowadays, four great drugs, including Arni, SGLT-2 Invertase, and Beta blockers, have brought much relief to heart patients," he added.

Sharing his views on the treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Dr Gagandeep Singh of Medanta said that earlier the patient had to stay in the hospital day and night to detect a heart attack. Still, due to HS Troponin, i.e., high sensitivity blood test, it can now be detected immediately whether the patient has had a heart attack or not. More than this, now such a machine has come by which a heart attack can be detected by examining it in just 20 minutes.

In the session on heart failure, Dr Vinish Jain said that many times the weakness of the heart is not visible even in echocardiography. The heart may be weak even when the echo is normal. In such a situation, with exercise tests and other new methods, we can catch and treat heart failure.

Dr Prabhat Aggarwal said that heart failure in diabetic patients remains a serious problem, but now with the availability of modern methods of treatment and testing, the death rate of diabetic patients due to heart attack has come down in the last few years.

In the session on heart failure, Dr. Basant Kumar Gupta said that earlier patients with advanced heart failure had to be hospitalised due to frequent breathlessness. Such patients were completely dependent on their family members or hospitals, but now such a machine has come for such patients, which is placed near the patient's heart or inside the heart or on the leg vein, so that these patients can do their daily work.

Dr Manish Sharma said that if there is breathlessness, immediately go to the hospital. Get a complete checkup done. Take the prescribed medicine properly. Do not leave the medicine without a doctor's advice.

Dr Neeraj Kumar said that the first few hours are crucial in a heart attack. "As soon as you feel chest pain or heaviness in your chest, take Disprin immediately. Disprin is better than Sorbitrate because Sorbitrate only reduces pain while Disprin tablet saves a life," he said.

He said that after cardiac arrest, we think the patient has left the world, so we do not make any extra effort to save him. But if CPR is started, even after cardiac arrest, the lives of 15 per cent of people can be saved.

Addressing a session on Arrhythmia, Dr Subhash Chandra of BLK Max Hospital, Delhi, said that today different types of pacemakers were giving new life to the heart. "Among these, the 4-gram leadless pacemaker is the main one implanted inside the heart, and it does not allow the patient to faint."