Multi-pronged approach required to fight cardiac diseases

Jayashree Padmini - New Delhi

Private healthcare spend will account for more of inpatient spend by 2012, spend on cardiac diseases being one of them. And this shift to lifestyle diseases is in line with the more developed economies says the CII-McKinsey report. Projections by WHO and ICMR indicates that India is set to be the heart attack capital by the year 2020.

As for the West, it was as early as 1960s that Finland and US topped in Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). These countries have brought down the CAD rate to 60 per cent through lifestyle management.

At a time when India is going through the same phase, experts say that prevention is the buzzword. Dr K P Mishra, director, medical education & sr consultant cardiologist, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai while speaking to Express Healthcare Management said, “Now that India is fast moving to top the list in CAD incidences, we should incorporate preventive care in our agenda”.

Dr Mishra under the Apollo umbrella has a challenging task of enhancing the awareness levels among not only the targeted segment but also among doctors. “The GPs are not aware of the real socio-economic impact of CAD and related ailments,” he says.

This program becomes crucial as the affordability levels do not match the expenses pegged at minimum two to three lakh for a simple intervention. In terms of treatment modalities, drugs and technology have become so advanced that in the glitter and glamour of it, the more significant aspect, preventive management has been ignored. Technology advancement would now lead to day-time surgery where patients could return the same day after surgery, says Dr Mishra. However, all these are on the high end of the price index making it available to only a small percentage of the population.

“We should adopt a multi-pronged approach to effectively take on heart ailments which includes daily intake of vitamins & minerals in natural form or as supplements coupled with a healthy life style,” points out Dr Mishra. Recent studies in India itself have proved that Vitamin E and Folic acid are found to have a positive effect in preventing the progression of heart diseases in high-risk population. Life style management includes multiple components ranging from diet & nutrition to moderate physical activities, yoga, meditation and attitudinal changes. A recent study at the University of San Fransisco, undertaken by Dean Ornis, Professor of Cardiology, establishes that life style management curtails chances of CAD in risk population group.