The Golden Hour

Heart diseases are major causes of mortality and disease in the Indian subcontinent, causing more than 25% of deaths. It has been predicted that India will be host to more than half the cases of heart disease in the world within the next 15 years.

In urban India, over the last few years, the prevalence of coronary artery disease in young adults and the incidence of young deaths due to heart attacks (myocardial infarction) have significantly increased. It can be attributed to the stressful lifestyle in the city, and also evolving risk factors like smoking, diabetes and Hypertension in the younger population.

50 % of the heart damage occurs within the first 2 hours of heart attack where there is risk for sudden cardiac death, arrhythmias, and permanent damage to the heart. In an Acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, every 30 min delay from symptom onset to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increases patients’ risk of dying by 7.5 %.

Hence it becomes extremely important that the symptoms of heart attack are best recognized within the ‘Golden Hour’ – the first hour of definitive medical care where the patient’s medical fate is sealed.

Most people do not plan for a medical emergency, although everyone will have one at one time or another. Also, lack of knowledge and self-denial about cardiac emergencies among the general public delays the initiation of immediate management. It is unfortunate that most people take their symptoms lightly and think that symptoms may be due to ‘acidity’ or an upset stomach.

So next time you or your relative suffers from a sudden onset chest pain or heaviness, breathlessness, sudden profuse sweating or fatigue, visit your treating doctor or the nearest Hospital’s Emergency department immediately.

Global Hospital, Mumbai, is equipped to provide cutting edge care for cardiac emergencies – 24/7. Our team of trained emergency physicians, cardiologists and CTVS surgeons, critical care specialist, rehabilitation specialists, nurses and technicians are committed to providing the best treatment for emergency management, and we value every passing second and minute.

Most patients will be sick enough to know when they are in the golden hour and most of them will miss it when it is gone.

Rising number of heart attacks

COVID has changed the world and especially the healthcare industry forever.

A striking feature during COVID was the disappearance of the cardiovascular emergencies, including heart attacks and strokes.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, all emergency visits and admissions to hospitals in the country for heart related ailments had declined drastically by 40-60 % compared with pre-pandemic data.

Much could have been attributed to the fact that people were apprehensive and were delaying receiving prompt care for heart attacks or strokes due to fear of contracting COVID at the hospital, without realising that untreated heart attacks could lead to long-term serious complications. Researchers concluded that people were more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack when compared with pre-pandemic times, probably because they were less likely to be hospitalised.

In various studies over the last few months, it has been found that COVID evolved as a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. It is fatally affecting a large number of young people with no pre-existing heart ailments or any traditional risk factors like diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol. Also, the risk of heart attacks and strokes is increased three-fold in the first two weeks following COVID, with patients suffering a heart attack even after seven to eight weeks of recovery from COVID. Unfortunately, we saw a large number of patients in emergency between the age of 20 to 25 years suffering a massive heart attack and succumbing to it.

Off lately, there has been a sudden rise in cases of cardiovascular diseases presenting to the emergency. We can only ponder if it can be due to COVID?

It has now been established that Coronavirus does on occasions infect and damage the heart muscles directly. Studies have shown that up to 1 in 5 patients with the illness end up with heart damage. Heart failure has been the cause of death in COVID patients, even those without severe breathing problems.

Since people with COVID-19 can have symptoms similar to those of a heart attack, including chest pain, shortness of breath and changes on their 2D echocardiogram, or ECG, we will never be able to tell whether the large number of dead bodies which were brought to the Emergency Departments across the country were fatalities due to COVID lung infection or due to a heart attack caused by COVID.

Another undeniable truth is that the pandemic has lead people into developing the very lifestyle factors that cause heart disease over the long term. We’re a country which eats too much unhealthy food, exercises too little, fails to undergo regular health checkups - and with the lockdown for more than a year, the drivers of cardiovascular diseases only got worse. The American Heart Association (AHA) has predicted a surge of heart attack and strokes in the months and years to come as a lagging indicator of the lifestyle changes and stress forced upon the world by the pandemic.

With the ongoing battle against COVID, we need to combat perceptions that everyone must stay away from the hospital. People should not avoid seeking care for life-threatening, yet treatable, conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Fitness is a buzzword nowadays, and we live in an age where everyone wants to be fit. A lot of Indians are hitting the gym with an aim of well-toned muscles and a lean six-pack, apart from staying fit and maintaining a healthy weight. With information freely available on the internet, people are also adopting to various types of diets. To act as a catalyst, various fitness apps on your phone, fitness bands, health startups and other technologies have been driving the market.

However, just because someone looks fit on the outside, does it mean that the person is healthy on the inside too? Fitness and health, though closely associated and often used synonymously, should not be confused to be the same. Even if you are fit, you may not be healthy. Why? – Read on.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

A slim and muscular body signifies that a person is physically fit. However, if the person is eating lots of unhealthy food and burning calories with a disciplined exercise regime to maintain their physique, or being a chain smoker or consuming high levels of alcohol, is not an indicator of good health.

Too much exercise is also not good for the body as it may lead to injuries, exhaustion, depression and anxiety, apart from possible cardiac arrhythmia or sudden cardiac arrest.

So how often should one workout? Studies have shown that 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity each day, totalling a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week with 1 days break, or a minimum of 75 minutes of intense exercise each week is ideal. Moderate aerobic exercise includes activities such as brisk walking or swimming. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes activities such as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines, your own body weight, or activities such as rock climbing.

Even in patients with pre-existing heart diseases, regular exercise is extremely important. Apart from making heart muscles stronger, it may also help patients be more active without chest pain or other symptoms. Exercise helps lower down the blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol levels, and help control the blood sugar, and in reducing weight – thereby controlling most major risk factors associated with heart diseases.

Along with regular physical exercises, nutrition plays an extremely important role in having a healthy heart. Healthy food choices can reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke as well as food related risk actors like obesity, high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes.

A regular exercise routine along with a healthy diet can substantially reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

Is it important for young adults to do their heart check ups at regular interval ?

Did you know that 1 in 4 deaths in India are due to cardiovascular disease, with heart disease and stroke responsible for 80 % of this burden? It has been predicted that India will be host to more than half the cases of heart disease in the world within the next 15 years.

Most Indians assume that there is no need to visit a doctor until something is wrong.

Gone are the days when Heart attacks were common only in the aged. Over the last few years, there has been a worry some tread of heart diseases and deaths due to heart attacks in the young population. Much of it can be attributed to the several lifestyle-related issues such as lack of exercise, stress, inconsistent eating habits, and also evolving risk factors like smoking, tobacco use, diabetes, Hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol in the younger population.

As our nation’s number one killer, the risks associated with cardiovascular disease cannot be overstated.

The key to maintain a healthy heart and best possible long term prognosis is dependent on early detection & treatment. Heart Checkups performed in young adults can give doctors & patients a great insight into their overall heart health; and help safeguard them from any potential heart problems, before serious health complications occur.

A healthy lifestyle and routine monitoring of heart health factors are more than just recommendations; they are necessities for long-term well-being. It’s a small measure but one that may be life-saving.

Healthcare Awards Are Rigged and There's a Formula to Win: QMH

Mumbai: In an unexpected development which has shocked the healthcare industry, the Quackdoses Multi-speciality Hospital (QMH) was declared the best hospital in the country in a survey by ‘U-pay Healthcare Awards’.

With changing trends in digital marketing, over the past few years, most hospital websites and their social media posts boast of various paid awards the hospitals and its consultants win. The voters of these surveys are non-existent entities or fake profiles on social media who are used to like, comment, share and boost the posts.

In an exclusive interview with Dr. Paisede Prizele, the Quackdoses Unit Head who ‘paid’ to win the ‘Emerging Player’ award said, “Off lately, there are too many organisations instituting countless Heathcare awards. The distance between you and your Facebook photograph receiving the award with your fake smile in the ‘Achievers Award’ category is just Rs. 15,000. If that’s expensive for you, the event organising company will create another subcategory of award to bargain, just like the Bollywood awards. Even individual doctors without any credibility or fame can get featured to win the best doctor award these days. It’s simple, Jo dikhta hai, who bikta hai !”

When Quacknews pointed out to representatives of ‘U-pay Healthcare Awards’ that this is not sustainable from a credibility point of view, they offered us the ‘Hall of Fame’ award for etching the undisputed leadership position in medical news journalism in India, for an undisclosed amount.

On crossroads between Life and Death.

Did you know that Heart Attacks and Paralytic Strokes have beginnings, which can best be treated within a “Golden Hour”?

An Emergency Can Strike Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime - an undeniable universal truth where few minutes can mean the difference between life and death, and the only thing standing between it is timely medical care. Most people do not plan for a medical emergency, although everyone will have one at one time or another.

The first hour of definitive medical care is called the “golden hour”. It is usually this first hour where the patient’s medical fate is sealed and is very important in situations such as trauma, heart attack or stroke, where time is heart or time is brain. In general, the faster the medical care is rendered, the better is the patient’s chances of survival and ultimate ability to function.

The Accident & Emergency (A&E) department is the “shop window” and insight mirror for a hospital. It is the part of the hospital most closely in contact with the public as it offers the most informal access. Today, modern emergency departments not only are capable of providing round-the-clock lifesaving care in individual emergencies and disasters, they also conduct timely diagnostic workups and serve as the “safety net of the safety net” for millions of patients. Also it is surrounded by so much drama, tragedy, and media interest.

The A&E at Global Hospital, Mumbai is an 8 bedded state of the art facility dealing with a wide spectrum of patients with acute emergencies for initial evaluation, resuscitation, treatment, investigation, stabilization, monitoring and disposition. The dedicated team of trained emergency physicians, nurses and other health professionals provide an extraordinary level of knowledge, skill and compassion to the full spectrum of patients we serve at the Hospital.

Most patients will be sick enough to know when they are in the golden hour and most of them will miss it when it is gone. When seconds and minutes count, count on us!