Chennai: Experts in the city have expressed their concern as heart failure, the most under-recognized and under-diagnosed heart condition, in India is becoming an epidemic. As a result, the disease has been silently and rapidly killing patients, affecting an estimated 10 million people in India and accounting for deaths in 23 per of patients, within one year of diagnosis.
A study was done by Trivandrum Heart Failure Registry (THFR) on In-Hospital and Three-Year Outcomes of Heart Failure Patients in South India. The results of the study concluded that 72 per cent of patients diagnosed with heart failure suffered from ischemic heart disease.
The study shows that close to a quarter of the global disease burden for ischemic heart disease is accounted for from India. Ischemic heart disease is the main cause of heart failure in India.
Ischemia means “reduced blood supply.” “The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle and no alternative blood supply exists, so a blockage in the coronary arteries reduces the supply of blood to heart muscle. The blockage in the arteries is usually caused by plaque buildup made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery. This plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to become narrow over time, which could partially or totally block the blood flow in the heart,” says a cardiologist in the city.
According to Dr. R Ravikumar, Sr. Consultant, Heart Failure, Cardiology, Gleneagles Global Hospital Chennai, “The incidence of heart failure is on the rise, especially Ischemic heart disease in our practice. A significant proportion of this burden may be preventable with better screening and early and adequate treatment of the risk factors. Advanced treatment options like ARNI therapy coupled with lifestyle modifications, can significantly improve the quality of life for heart failure patients,” With recent advances in medicines, heart failure can be effectively managed, along with some positive lifestyle changes like reducing fluid intake, controlling salt consumption, maintaining a healthy diet, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake and by incorporating moderate physical activity in your daily routine.
