With close to 10 million patients in India, heart failure is the leading cause of repeat hospitalisations amongst all cardiovascular diseases. Despite being a major public health challenge, heart failure is often neglected, and commonly misinterpreted as a heart attack.
Experts have time and again emphasized on how awareness can facilitate better understanding of heart failure. This will help people identify risk factors and symptoms at an early stage, to ensure timely detection and treatment subsequently for effective management of heart failure.
Close to17% patients die within 90 days of being diagnosed with Heart Failure. The condition requires lifelong management and treatment.
Therefore, patients need to be transparent and in constant contact with their cardiologists to get the right treatment and on time. Heart Failure patients can lead healthy lives by modifying their lifestyle, timely medication administration, being physically active and adhere to their treatment schedules.
It's also extremely important that they monitor their health and report if symptoms are aggravatedor noticeeven minor changes.
Our major concern is the lack of awareness in the patients and caregivers on ways to manage heart failure. In our clinic, nearly, 20- 30% of patients with the Heart Failure disease come at an advanced stage.
Therefore, at the moment, prime importance is timely treatment at an early stage. But the focus of attention should also be made on prevention of heart failure which is indeed possible by early control of risk factors. Recent advances in technology and medications can delay the disease progression. Hence the Government, public and private hospitals need to make collaborative efforts to create greater public awareness regarding effective and holistic management of heart failure, said Dr PC Manoria.