According to research published in American Heart Journal (2018), it has been observed that there is a 13% increase in sudden cardiac arrest among those aged the mid-30s to mid-40s. Indians contract heart disease 10 years earlier than their western counterpart, making it one of the biggest issues faced by India¡¯s public health system. To minimize the burden of SCA¡¯s and other CVD¡¯s various awareness drives and initiatives have been taken to promote preventive measures that can help people live healthier lives.?
There's been a steep rise in the number of recovered COVID patients suffering from heart problems like sudden palpitation, chest pain, heart attack, heart failure, heart-swelling, low pump capacity (low ejection fraction), blood clotting, etc. Cardiovascular diseases cause 20.3% of deaths in men and 16.9 % of deaths in women. The mortality rate is higher in women than in men, yet heart disease and related risk factors are often overlooked in women.
Sudden cardiac arrest happens without a warning, bringing the heart to a standstill. It occurs because of erratic heartbeats triggered by an electrical malfunction that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) leads to sudden death if not intervened within the first 6 minutes. The human heart beats at 60-100 beats per minute and any fluctuation in this rate, either too slow or too fast is referred to as cardiac arrhythmia. Therefore, those experiencing a sudden increase in heart rate or those who are genetically prone to heart diseases can experience a fatal arrhythmia.
The management of SCA involves the crucial step of performing a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) within the first 6 minutes. This can greatly improve the chances of survival as it immediately restarts heart functions and provides blood supply to the brain.
People who are contracting SCA mostly show immediate signs that may be drastic in nature. One may often experience sudden weakness or wariness with erratic heart palpitations, pain, or discomfort in the chest may be followed by a shortness of breath.
Other severe symptoms while experiencing an SCA may include sudden collapsing, a negligible pulse with no signs of breathing, and loss of consciousness.?
While the common risk factors for an SCA include coronary heart disease, smoking, consumption of alcohol, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and a sedentary lifestyle. SCA affects men and women differently.?
It is true that various heart diseases affect men and women differently, primarily due to the difference in biological and physiological build.
Lifestyle plays a crucial role that owes to the increase in the number of heart patients among women. Younger women are now easily victim to developing heart conditions which can lead to fatalities such as SCA, due to the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle.
Both men and women experience symptoms in different ways, the male counterpart is known to mostly have chest pain with the reduced flow of blood to the heart, also known as Angina. While women may go through atypical Angina, which causes pain in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Cholesterol deposition in men happens in the larger arteries, while smaller vessels of women are affected. As the impact of SCA is milder in the smaller vessels compared to the larger ones, it can often be a silent killer in the case of women.
Coping with stress can greatly affect the way we experience any heart condition. Higher amounts of stress hormones also known as oxytocin are present in women, which increases blood pressure and sugar levels. Which can lead to more emotional responses from the female counterpart. Whereas males take a fight or flight approach.
Most heart diseases can be prevented and fatalities like SCA may never occur if one is mindful of the lifestyle he or she is leading. A sedentary lifestyle involving dubious amounts of alcohol, regular smoking, obesity, intake of unhealthy diets, inadequate amount of sleep, undertaking immense stress, and repeated use of oral contraceptives can contribute to the development of various heart diseases.
Therefore it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle that involves a balanced diet, a healthy sleep cycle, engaging in daily workouts, taking less stress during work hours and avoiding indulging in consuming too much alcohol, and refraining from smoking or drugs.?
If you have underlying heart issues which have not been treated over the years and are at risk of contracting heart fatalities, a cardiologist may recommend getting an ICD (Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator). It helps in monitoring your heartbeat and identifying any abnormalities present. By sending a powerful shock to the heart it can help patients experiencing SCAs or heart attacks.
For people with more severe cases of heart diseases like congenital heart diseases, one may have to opt for surgeries involving angioplasty, bypass surgery, or other invasive procedures. To stay on top of your heart health visit your doctor for regular check-ups to take necessary preventive measures that keep it from aggravating.
Dr Mayur Jain is a Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Kushal Cardiac Care in Mumbai. The views/ opinions expressed by the author are personal.