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Dr Satish Suryavanshi, Senior Cardiologist and Director, SMC Heart Institute is passionate about getting the message out about living a healthy lifestyle and preventing heart disease, the No. 1 killer at present in India. The way we are tackling heart attacks world over may not apply to our population because of our demography, our populations are different, he said. While talking to this newspaper Dr Satish talks about the simple steps and measures if taken at the right time can reduce the deaths caused by heart attacks to a large extent. Excerpts from the Interview with Dr Satish Suryawanshi.
Why heart attack being so popular in India?
Indians are genetically prone to have heart attacks. Unfortunately we have some genetic predisposition where the heart attacks are much more prevalent in India. As Indian heights are less so the size of arteries is also small as compared to American and Europeans. The disease is genetic that is why we getting heart attack at early stage i.e at the age of 18. Heart attacks in India occur much earlier compared to the other people in other parts of the world and again it is the lifestyle, unfortunately we have a pretty bad lifestyle which is not only in adults but starts right from the school level.
How does a healthy person gets a cardiac arrest?
This is called silent attack. Sometimes due to excessive smoking there is cholesterol deposition in arteries. As the times passes the Cholesterol deposition increases. Because of smoking there are changes in blood which causes Cholesterol plague to rupture. Once the plague is ruptured there is clot formation resulting in severe attack. If your overweight or have obesity in abdomen these are risk factor, that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
What is the routine checkup one should go through?
At the age of 25 comprehensive cardiac checkups should be done. Routine blood test to ensure sugar, Check Cholesterol, BP, Treadmill test after an echo this is routine test advised to person not having any risk factor. Every five year the tests should be repeated. If you having a strong family history of heart disease or cardiac death in the family or if you are diabetic, hypertension or overweight the routine checkup should be done in 1 year.
Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Best food is lot of green leafy vegetables, salads, fruits with less amount of fat and carbohyradates diet, worst are fast food, pizzas, burger, samosa and kachori.
Is Yoga and Meditation helpful for heart?
Regular exercise of 45 minutes to 1 hour atleast five days a week. Any type of exercise, aerobic, dancing, zumba swimming anything can be done which can burn some calories. Yoga and meditation is very much necessary. One of the important factor for getting heart attack is stress and depression, so Yoga and Meditation plays an important role. By doing meditation and yoga we can set an example for the world to be fit and healthy. One should very cautious with no smoking, stress and a healthy life style with exercise and less amount of food intake.
Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Yes, but the chances are extremely rare. When we talk about risk factor it’s not a none all phenomena. The chances of heart attack for patient with diabetes are more but it is not zero for non-diabetic patients. If we follow 100 diabetic and non-diabetic then after 10 years there is risk of 30 diabetic patients getting heart attack and 5 non-diabetic patients getting heartattack. If you compare to non-diabetic the chances of heart attack in diabetic is more but not zero in non-diabetic patients.
What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Help the person into a sleeping position, put an aspirin tablet 300 mg under the tongue, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour. Within three hours the patient should get Angioplasty.
Difference between pain caused by a heart attack and gastric trouble?
Pain in cardaic origin is in centre of chest with heaviness in the chest. Severe pain on the centre, left and it radiates to both the jaws and left hand. Sometime patient feels the pain between two shoulders and this pain is severe with sweating and vomiting and are for more than 10 minutes. Pains of Gastric origin are in the abdomen and are not associated with sweating and have sensation of vomiting. My suggestion is go to a Doctor and take an ECG.
What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters?
Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.
How would you define junk food?
Pizzas, Burger, samosas,
kachodi and even masala dosas.
Why heart attacks more in men than in women?
Nature protects women till the age of 45. After 65 years there is equal risk factor. Due to diabetic condition women also suffer attack at the age of 35.
What are the new devices for treatment of heart attack?
New devices which have come for management of heart disease is Rotablator. If the patients want to undergo angioplasty his cholesterol used to clear through Rotablator. Now laser therapy is there for vessels which show 100 per cent block. In addition we have third generation medicated stents. Now a day’s less number people go for byepass surgery they prefer Angioplasty. Angioplasty is simple and sweet and patients can be discharged after 40 minutes. Various devices have come for patients with weak heart, AICD has come Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and diventilator facing CRT if we combine we call it combo device.
