World Heart Day is observed on September 29 to bring awareness among people about cardiovascular diseases, which are one of the biggest causes of death worldwide. This day is part of an international campaign to inform and spread awareness about heart disease and stroke prevention. Many specialists have been answering the questions of the callers and have been giving tips in the previous weeks.

Dr. Premkumar tells us the difference between heart attack and heart failure. He warns that smoking, drinking, substance abuse and eating fast food are major risk factors which lead to heart problems.

Heart attack and heart failure are not the same.
Heart attack is a sudden, acute event where symptoms include sweating, loss of consciousness etc. It is related to the blockage of blood vessels connected to the heart. Whereas, Heart failure occurs when the person does not take necessary treatment after an attack. If the person delays a doctor or hospital visit after they have a heart attack, chances of their heart muscle function going down is very high, leading to possible failure of the heart and hence death.

The treatment for heart attack and heart failure are different.
For a heart attack, the clot has to lysed and blood flow has to be reinstated to the heart. This can be done using medication OR you can mechanically open the blood vessel to unblock it.
For heart failure first level is medicines. This also depends on the percentage of heart muscle loss. If it’s less than 30%, additional therapy has to be given. Pace makers are used to re-synchronize the heart.

One of the callers asked Dr. Premkumar about Mitral valve prolapse.
Dr. Premkumar said that it is a trivial heart condition. 2% of the general population has it. It will not cause a problem but very rarely it can also lead to a valve leak in which case the valve has to be replaced.

Another caller asked what an unstable Angina is and how is it different from a heart attack. Doctor answered that if one is suffering from chest pain while resting; it can be an unstable angina and must be checked by a doctor immediately. It is a stage/warning of an impending heart attack.

A caller was concerned if weight gain or overweight could cause heart problems. Doctor told the caller that it could very well lead to heart problems and one should always make sure to eat healthy and keep fit to stay away from heart conditions. He says that even few genes transfer heart problems to the next generation, but it cannot be said for sure.

Dr. Premkumar also gave us a simple and valuable tip before concluding.

Avoid the lift, Take the stairs! Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors May Prevent 80 Percent of Heart Attacks.

 

Picture Courtesy: http://www.acibademinternational.com/