Vital to Hospitalize Heart Attack Patients within First Hour

Columbia Asia Hospital Ghaziabad spreads awareness on World Heart Day
Ghaziabad, September 29, 2017: A person suffering from heart attack must be hospitalized within the golden hour or the first hour of suffering the attack, doctors at Columbia Asia Hospital Ghaziabad said today in a press conference. In a state like Uttar Pradesh where over 16.5% people die due to heart diseases every year, awareness on such life-saving measures for preventing premature death is of utmost consequence. To address the challenge of the growing incidence of cardiovascular diseases in India, the hospital also held a free special heart clinic for cardiology consultation on 29thSeptember. Doctors conducted tests and gave consultations to patients on cardiac health.

Emphasizing on the importance of “Golden Hour”,Dr. Sanjay Mittal, Consultant Cardiologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad said “The first hour after onset of heart attack is called the ‘golden hour’ as patient's chances of survival are greatest if they receive care within first hour. After that heart muscles starts getting damaged irreversibly. A person suffering heart attack should be admitted to the nearest medical facility with a catheterization laboratory, which is a room equipped to treat heart attack patients. People often mistakenly link intensity of pain with severity of heart attack and ignore low-intensity pain in heart. It is important to know that intensity of pain is an individualistic experience and low intensity pain may cause equal damage to your heart in the same time.On the occasion of World Heart Day, we are continuing with our endeavors to spread awareness on prevention of heart diseases and the significance of hospitalization in the first hour.”

Created by the World Health Federation, the World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29th with the objective to reduce global mortality rate of people dying with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. India has become the heart disease capital of the world, as the latest report by World Health Organization suggests heart diseases cause 45% deaths in the country. Recent reports have suggested that 50% of heart patients in India are between the ages of 20 to 40 years.

“There has been increase in incidence of heart diseases in younger patients in the past decade. It is important to educate the youth that it is best to prevent heart diseases. In India, hypertension or increase in blood pressure due to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy dietary practices are among the primary reasons for heart diseases especially in urban youth. Other factors include alcohol and tobacco consumption. A recent study conducted by AIIMS Delhi report that 3 out of 5 people suffer from hypertension. The solutions are to develop healthy dietary practices and to ‘Walk & Workout’. 15-30 minutes of intense physical activity reduces chances of getting heart diseases by 30%. It also contributes in reducing risk of developing diabetes and reducing stress levels in body", said Dr. Sanjay Mittal.

It is important for a healthy heart that alcohol consumption be moderated or avoided. Tobacco consumption leads to hypertension by accelerating heart rate and increasing fatty deposits in arteries. Increase in cholesterol levels has a direct connection with consumption of alcohol. Around 25 lakh deaths worldwide are caused by binge drinking or consuming high amounts of alcohol in a short duration.

Prevention from heart diseases is of foremost importance. However, during critical situations especially when a person is suffering from stroke, lack of knowledge of identifying a heart attack and delay in handling it may prove to be fatal. One should instantly go for medical aid if one feels discomfort in chest, including arm, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, and light headedness, which are some of the symptoms felt during onset of heart attack.