The discomfort or pain of a heart attack is usually similar to that of angina, but is often more severe and may be associated with sweating, lightheadedness, nausea and breathlessness. This is more common in people with Diabetes
Cardiac ailments are considered to be one of the deadliest diseases and the leading cause of mortality in India. As per the reports of WHO, cardiac problems are estimated to kill at least one in every five men and one in every eight women. Progressive heart failure which is caused due to the plaque (fatty substance) build up in the arterial linings of the blood vessels are primarily attributed to lifestyle habits and conditions such as smoking, overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Heart attacks were once only associated with old age. Recently, more people in their 20s, 30s and 40s have been suffering from heart ailments. Apart from a person’s genetic disposition and family history which are the most common and uncontrollable risk factors, the Indian youth is now being succumbed to heart ailments due to poor lifestyle, stress, erratic sleep patterns. This in turn causes inflammation and raises the risk of cardiac ailments. Sedentary lifestyle clubbed with smoking are further risk factors that trigger the risk symptoms among the younger generation.
Cardiac Hospitals in India perform more than 2 lakh open heart surgeries and are increasing annually by 25 per cent but they are not able to control the numbers of heart attacks. The surgeries done are only palliative. Educating the essentials about Heart disease and its risk factors is important to eradicate the casualties from the root.
What are the symptoms?
Not every CHD patient has the same symptoms and angina chest pain as its most common feature. Symptoms may vary from nil to severe, some may have an uncomfortable feeling like indigestion and some cases may be experiencing severe pain, heaviness or tightness. The pain is usually felt in the centre of the chest, that spreads to the arms, neck, jaw and even to stomach, and is accompanied by palpitation and unusual breathlessness.
If arteries become completely blocked, it can cause a heart attack that can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle. The discomfort or pain of a heart attack is usually similar to that of angina, but is often more severe and may be associated with sweating, lightheadedness, nausea and breathlessness. This is more common in people with Diabetes. Heart attack if not treated straight away can be fatal.
Assessment of a suspected CHD patient involves the medical and family history, assessing the lifestyle and taking blood tests. Further tests to confirm a diagnosis of CHD includes non-invasive tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify the structure, thickness and movement of each heart valve, X-ray to look at the heart, lungs and chest wall to rule out any other conditions that may be causing symptoms, Treadmill test (TMT) during exercise to know the effect of exercise on the heart, Cardiovascular cartography heart flow mapping, CT angiography and the invasive coronary angiography to identify whether the coronary arteries are narrowed and how severe the blockages are.
Although coronary heart disease cannot be cured, treatment can help manage the symptoms, improve the functioning of the heart and reduce the chances of problems such as heart attacks. Effective management includes a combination of lifestyle changes, medicines and non-invasive treatments. Invasive and surgical treatments are required in more severe cases and the outcomes are favourable in most of the cases, where the person is able to resume their normal life. Some simple lifestyle changes include eating a healthy balanced diet, doing regular exercise, no smoking and controlling blood cholesterol and sugar levels. These can reduce the risk of CHD, stroke and dementia.
The writer is Dr Balbir Singh Chairman — Cardiac Sciences Max Hospital, Saket, new delhi