From the time the first Coronavirus case was recorded in China, to India’s numbers crossing four million, CO- VID-19 has millions of lives under its ambit. Now, for a country like India, where the cardiovascular disease burden is already at an alarming high, these are threatening facts. Moreover, pandemic-induced lockdowns have also raised stress levels which can induce heart-related ailments.
On this World Heart Day, here are some thoughts by Dr. Viveka Kumar on the importance of understanding cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), what they mean today, how we can protect ourselves, and the technologies that help us significantly improve patient outcomes.
A Closer Look at Heart Diseases According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “CVDs are the number one cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. In 2016, CVDs took approximately 17.9 million lives, out of which 85 percent were due to stroke and heart attack.” Now, let’s understand what CVDs constitute. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. According to statistics, four out of five deaths caused by CVDs happen due to strokes or heart attacks.
The most common cause of heart attacks and strokes is a sedentary lifestyle. Alcohol consumption, un- healthy diet, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are contributing factors. Heart attacks and strokes are also caused due to a blockage that inter- feres with the blood flowing to the brain or heart. These blockages are caused by the build-up of fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels that carry blood to the two organs. In some cases, internal bleeding in the brain or blood clots can also cause strokes.
Fighting Against the CVD Burden simplest way to tackle the CVD burden is to create awareness about its most common symptoms and not ignore them. For instance, keep a check on your diabetes levels, and cholesterol intake, and watch out for symptoms like frequent chest pain, irregular heartbeat, pain in the elbows, left shoulder, or discomfort in the arms or back. The most common symptoms of a stroke are numbness in the arms or legs, especially on one side of the body, dizziness, difficulty in speaking, loss of balance, or severe headache with an unknown cause.
Since these are common symptoms that are often ignored by patients, it is advisable to consult a doctor if they are regular. Taking measures like maintaining proper weight, and keeping a regular check on diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure at home is imperative, but we must not forget the importance of regular health check-ups. If you have symptoms, of diabetes, your doctor will likely test your blood sugar level. If you have any conditions that put you at risk of heart disease, manage them with lifestyle changes and medications. How- ever, in extreme cases.
