Air pollution contributing to increase in heart problems: Doctors – Hindustan Times

Pain between the naval region and the lower jaw, spreading till the hands, could signal heart trouble, said experts at a medical event -- Newer prospective in cardiac management -- organised here by a hospital on Saturday.

Such a pain should not be taken lightly. In fact, if a person experiencing a heart attack reaches the hospital within the first 60 minutes -- also known as the golden hour -- and gets the required medical support, his / her life can return to complete normalcy, said Dr Kirtiman Singh, senior cardiologist, while addressing the media at on the sidelines of the continuing medical education (CME) programme organised by the Ajanta Hospital.

Doctors also expressed concern regarding the rising air pollution in the region and said that it had a direct bearing on the increase in heart problems. It is little wonder that air pollution is emerging as one of the reasons behind heart attacks. People living in rural areas face a lower risk of heart diseases due to the cleaner air there, said Dr Anil Khanna.

Explaining further, he said, Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) crosses the alveolar barrier, causing acute coronary syndrome.

Doctors also said that early detection and treatment of heart ailments reduced the chances of damage to the organ. It is a well proven fact that Indians get heart diseases at least 10 years before our western counterparts, said Dr Khanna.

He said that around 60% patients in Lucknow reached hospitals late. They are as late as 7 hours to even one day after the attack, said Dr Khanna.

Dr Abhishek Shukla said that awareness among family members and speedy action could help save a patients life as well as damage to the heart. However, what happens is that patients are usually late in reaching a proper cardiac care centre. They first travel to a few hospitals where cardiology facility is either unavailable or inadequate, he said.

Around 200 doctors from government and private hospitals participated in the CME and lectures were delivered on various topics.

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Air pollution contributing to increase in heart problems: Doctors - Hindustan Times