Knowing our biological hearts

India, which nurtures second largest population in the globe, will be the land of highest number of cardiac patients by the year 2010.

Moreover, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports reveal that, by 2015, deaths by cardiovascular diseases will rise up to 100 per cent in this South Asian country.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

In general, the high blood pressure (or hypertension) emerges as the biggest single risk factor for heart disease and stroke. And by 2025, the hypertension will be prevalent for nearly 1.5 billion people in the globe.

These and many more horrifying facts related to heart diseases were highlighted during an interaction programme of journalists with a group of cardiologists on September 28 during the celebration of World Heart Day. The Cardiology Society of India (North East Chapter) in association with Guwahati Press Club had organised the programme, where nearly 100 journalists went for checking up their biological hearts. With blood pressure, ECG, BMI, sugar, weight, height check up were also carried out.

Addressing the audience of media persons at the press club auditorium, Dr A.K. Sharma highlighted various risk factors and also probable preventative measures for adoption. Narrating about the theme of this year's World Heart Day as 'Know your Risk', the senior cardiologist also disclosed that the heart disease and stroke in combine kill 17.5 million people every year. More precisely, these two diseases claim as many lives as HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, malaria and diabetes in combined eradicate annually.

Quoting the WHO findings, Dr Sharma stated that by 2010, sixty per cent of the world's cardiac patients would be Indians. He also informed that the disease could affect the younger population as well, though it is generally believed that only the older age people are prone to heart cardiac problems. More over, the children of heart patients (one or both the spouses) live with higher chances of being affected by the disease.

The WHO reports have already divulged that the heart attacks (and other cardiological ailments) become the cause of one third of the human deaths in the world per annum. The findings of WHO also predict that it would be responsible for killing the largest number of people, through out the globe, in the next few years. The American Health Association also reported that nearly one million people face heart attacks every year, where half of them succumb to the sickness.

The issue has a feminine side as well, because women grow the risk of heart disease after menopause. In average, 16 women per minute die of cardiovascular disease worldwide. In fact, the heart disease and stroke claim the more lives of women every year than the dreaded cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria in together. Poor or too high rich food, lack of awareness and inadequate physical activities primarily pave ways for the Indian women to suffer from the heart attack and strokes.

The press club programme was also attended by the senior cardiology specialists including Dr M.C. Bhuyan, Dr A.K. Baruah, Dr D.C. Barkataki, Dr Neil Bordoloi, Dr Pritam Barthakur, Dr B. Choudhury, Dr M.K. Sutradhar, Dr Nabanita Das with others. Later they joined another interactive session with the bank employees at Vivekananda centre on the same issue.

The city witnessed another programme on the Heart Day, where the renowned Assamese heart specialist Dr Bhabananda Das informed that the heart attacks (or Coronary artery disease) emerge as the largest killer of human beings and India records the maximum cases. More over, 60 percent of Indian heart patients fall in the age category of below 55 years. More shockingly, 30 per cent of them are of less than 40 years old.

Organised by the GNRC hospitals, the programme was also attended by cardiology specialists Dr Anup Boro, Dr S. Baruah and Dr S. Dawka, where they highlighted that the growing awareness on the risk factors could reduce the attacks by 90 per cent. They also advised for taking regular exercise, maintaining weight, performing yoga & meditation and of course quitting the habit of smoking.

Pix caption: Interaction programme with senior cardiology experts is in progress at Guwahati Press Club on September 28. Photograph by Dhaniram Kalita