DT Health: Multifaceted approach need of hour to mitigate cardiovascular diseases, says expert

CHENNAI: As cardiovascular diseases (CVD) top the list of causes of mortality and disability in the world, there are several myths surrounding cardiac arrest and heart attack. Experts suggest a multifaceted approach to address heart-related diseases.

A heart attack occurs when there is a block in one of the coronary arteries. The heart muscle is robbed of its vital blood supply and if left untreated it will begin to die because of lack of enough oxygen. A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops pumping blood around the body leading to difficulties in breathing.

On the other hand, heart failure is when it doesn’t pump normally. This results in a spike in the blood pressure, making the heart beat faster and causing it to hold on to salt and water. This retained fluid building up is the condition called congestive heart failure.

“India has also been undergoing a nutritional transition, characterised by a decrease in the intake of healthy foods such as coarse cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables, and a corresponding increase in intake of meat products, processed and ready-to-eat energy-dense, and high salt foods,” says Dr Shivakumar, the Interventional Cardiologist at Prashanth Hospitals.

He highlights factors like lack of awareness regarding healthy eating patterns, scarcity, accessibility, and affordability of healthy food options that have led to the nutritional transition, adding that energy-dense and processed foods have become more easily available and affordable. “There is a necessity for a multifaceted approach including fiscal, inter-sectoral, public health and service level interventions at all — primordial, primary, secondary and tertiary levels to prevent heart-related diseases. The complex interplay between population-level conventional risk factors and inherent biological differences puts Indians at higher risk of developing CVD. The most appropriate way forward would be to address the gaps based on our present knowledge and develop robust targeted solutions,” added Dr Shivakumar.