The way to a healthy heart begins at home

CHENNAI: The route to a healthy heart begins at home and with the individual, said Dr Y Vijaya Chandra Reddy, Senior Consultant and Interventional Cardiologist.  “Cardiovascular disease has been on the rise and has reached pandemic proportions in our country. Cardiovascular disease prevention is not a fantasy anymore; it can be achieved to a large extent, he added. Speaking on the eve of World Heart Day 2011,  he said, the responsibility lies with individuals, not just policy makers and medical professionals. He added, “By learning about risk factors and taking active steps to adopt a healthy life style, one can reduce the chance of heart attacks and strokes to a large extent.” This year’s shift in theme to change the home environment would result in other family members too benefitting from it, he said.Early detection and prompt treatment are the need of the hour, as all leading cardiologists have said. Commenting on the risk factors, Reddy said, “The usual risk factors are easily modifiable and can be corrected easily.” He also added that while many of the heart attacks could be prevented, it could not be avoided altogether. “When they do occur, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly. Good treatment is essential not only to save life but also the heart muscles,” he said. Treatment in the first 60 minutes “The Golden Hour” minimises the heart muscle damage. In fact, many of the heart attack victims treated in the first one or two hours after chest pain, recover so well that they can lead a normal life  after the attack.”Elaborating on the time delays, he explained, “Hospitals with round-the-clock cardiac catheterisation facilities that have trained personnel to perform emergency coronary angiography and primary angioplasty for heart attack patients are called STEMI-receiving hospitals while hospitals with facilities only for administering medication are called STEMI-referring hospitals. There should be a close working relationship between these two groups of hospitals, a sort of “Hub and Spoke’ model, to provide the best of the life saving treatment to the entire community."A World Heart Day rally undertaken by the Venkataeswara Hospital in Nandanam saw a massive turn-out, thanks to the presence of popular personalities such as Film Director K Balachander, IG of Police-North Zone, C Sylendra Babu, comedian Vivekh and film critic/cartoonist Madan.