The heart beats lifelong without stopping even for a moment, but reasons like wrong diet and routine, smoking, infection can stop it forever. Today, the way people are dying due to heart attacks while working in the office, while travelling, in the playground or even while sitting on the sofa at home, concerns about health are increasing.
Any disease becomes clear through medical examination, but the way healthy looking people are falling victim to heart attacks, the question arises that why no such red flag or high risk was seen in the health examination earlier.
A recent research conducted on Indian patients shows that for the first time, heart risk calculators based on global standards failed to correctly assess the risks in 80 percent of heart attack patients. Dr. Mohit Gupta, Professor of the Department of Cardiology at GB Pant Hospital, who led this research, says that the Western model of health check-up is not able to accurately assess the risks of Indian patients.
Despite the danger, these standards often place it in the low or medium risk category. Based on these parameters, doctors plan the correct condition and treatment of the patient. When the disease is not accurately predicted, it will obviously be difficult to get the right treatment in time.
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The situation of Indians is completely different
We have to understand that Indians face completely different risk factors. In case of heart related diseases in Indians, it is often seen that its initial symptoms are not detected or in other words, the exact condition cannot be detected as per the current standards.
Being Indian can also be considered a risk factor. If you want to know from the doctor what is the risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years, he will estimate it on the basis of risk score. Currently, all risk measurement methods are based on Western standards, whereas Indians have a completely different profile.
According to Dr. Gupta, while investigating the heart attack patients, it was seen that the patients who were at serious risk of heart attack were also classified under no risk score, the real concern starts from here. In such a situation, there is a need for a customized score for Indians, so that the exact status of their health can be known.
Along with customized risk factors, factors like lipid profile, pollution, stress will also have to be considered. Obesity and lipid profile are different in Indians. According to Dr. Gupta, his own risk calculator is being developed for Indian patients.
It is important to understand heart attack
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack. But, in some people, especially women, elderly people and people suffering from diabetes, the symptoms of heart attack may be different, such as nausea, mild pain in the neck or back. Some heart attacks happen suddenly, while in some cases symptoms start appearing hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that occurs repeatedly and does not go away even with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary reduction in blood flow to the heart.
Common symptoms of heart attack
- Chest pain, which may feel like pressure, tightness, aching, tightness, or aching
- Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or upper abdomen
- cold sweat
- Tiredness
- heartburn or indigestion
- Dizziness
- unconsciousness
- nausea
- difficulty breathing
What to do in case of a heart attack?
If a person becomes unconscious and feels that a heart attack has occurred, then efforts should be made to immediately take him to the hospital by ambulance. If the person is not breathing or cannot find a pulse, CPR should be started.
If you have not taken CPR training, do CPR with your hands only. Apply forceful and rapid compression to the person’s chest, about 100 to 120 times per minute. Keep doing this until medical help reaches you.
If you are CPR trained and confident in your abilities, start by performing 30 chest compressions before giving two ‘rescue breaths’. Continue this sequence of chest compressions 30 times and giving two ‘rescue breaths’ until medical help arrives.
Main reasons behind heart problems
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)- The main reason for this is that the blood flow to the heart stops due to plaque accumulation (atherosclerosis).
- High blood pressure and cholesterol- Having too much LDL (bad) cholesterol and high blood pressure can damage the arteries over time.
- Lifestyle related factors- Smoking, unhealthy diet (high in saturated fat and sodium), lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol consumption.
- long term stress- Excess stress and anxiety can cause heart disease.
- other factors- Diabetes, obesity and family history of heart disease.
Keep your heart healthy with ABCDE
Dr. Mohit Gupta, Director Professor, Cardiology, GB Pant Hospital, Delhi, says that if Indians want to avoid heart diseases and keep them healthy, then they will have to work on a different kind of ABCDE.
- A- Be alert- Every Indian has to be aware and alert, it is necessary to do profile test once a year after turning 18 years of age. If you have chest pain, unusual symptoms or any activity that you used to be able to do but now find it difficult, then get your health checked. There are some different types of symptoms in women. If problems like shortness of breath continue to occur then you should immediately consult a doctor.
- B-Check blood pressure- It is important to control blood pressure for good heart health. 25 percent of people in India do not know that they have blood pressure problem. Blood pressure without symptoms can be risky for the heart. Therefore, it is important to get it checked and keep it under control. Get checked at least once a year.
- C- Stop smoking and control cholesterol. Smoking and cigarettes in any form increases the risks of heart disease. Similarly control cholesterol. LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 in Indians. In heart patients it should be 70 or less than 50. One should be careful about the value of lipid profile.
- D- Diet should be good- Right food is important to stay healthy. You will have to stay away from heavy food, food containing excess ghee and oil. Green vegetables and seasonal fruits should be included in the diet.
- E-exercise and right emotions are important- To have a healthy heart, one has to develop the habit of exercise at all costs. It is necessary to walk for 30 to 35 minutes every day. Walking for one hour daily can increase your lifespan. Learn to control emotions, stay free from stress. In this way, adopt this ABCDE of health in your life, staying healthy is not difficult.