Heart failure’s growing threat: Dr. Sushil calls for urgent focus on primary prevention

Jammu, Sept 15: In view of the ever increasing incidence of cardiac ailments and lifestyle diseases Head Department of Cardiology GMCH Jammu Dr Sushil Sharma held a day long cardiac awareness cum health check-up camp at Shri Ram Mandir modern Village Allah, area of Arnia Jammu for educating masses regarding the importance of primary prevention in decreasing mortality and morbidity associated with cardiovascular diseases and particularly heart failure.
While interacting with the People Dr Sushil stated that Heart Failure (HF) is a multi-faceted and life-threatening syndrome characterized by significant morbidity and mortality, poor functional capacity and quality of life, and high costs. HF affects more than 64 million people worldwide. Therefore, attempts to decrease its social and economic burden have become a major global public health priority. While the incidence of HF has stabilized and seems to be declining in industrialized countries, the prevalence is increasing due to the ageing of the population, improved treatment of and survival with ischemic heart disease, and the availability of effective evidence-based therapies prolonging life in patients with HF. There are geographical variations in HF epidemiology. Heart failure prevalence is rising and this trend will worsen. This is attributed to the increasing elderly population and the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes and obesity.
He elaborated heart failure risk increases with age and male gender is associated with a higher risk. Lower physical activity, coffee consumption, increased salt intake, and lower socioeconomic status have been associated with increased risk of heart failure . Healthy weight, avoiding smoking, engaging in exercise, and a healthy diet have been shown to reduce heart failure risk factors including coronary disease , diabetes mellitus . Healthy lifestyle habits, that is, normal body weight, not smoking, regular exercise, moderate alcohol intake, consumption of breakfast cereals, and consumption of fruits and vegetables are associated with a lower risk of heart failure, with the highest risk of 21.3% in men adhering to none of these habits and the lowest risk of 10.1% in men adhering to 4 or more of them. Using a step-wise approach, once a patient is identified at increased risk, clinicians may consider a biomarker assessment (i.e., natriuretic peptide) or cardiac testing (i.e., echocardiogram). Furthermore, data suggests a natriuretic peptide biomarker-based screening coupled with optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy can help prevent new-onset HF.
He added that In the future, more widespread utilization of genetic testing may be incorporated for a more precision medicine-focused approach to HF risk assessment. Advances in knowledge about the genetic impact on HF risk are growing rapidly. Increased accessibility to and reduced cost of an individual’s genomics data may lead to identification of new risk-enhancing genes in asymptomatic patients, He said.
Prominent member of the area Kailash Saini, Kamlesh Kumari, Dineshwer Mohan Singh, Supinder Sharma, Kartik Sharma and Gautam Sharma appreciated the efforts of Dr Sushil and his team for conducting cardiac awareness cum health Checkup camp in their area and expressed their heartfelt gratitude.
Others who were part of this camp includes Dr Dhaneshwer kapoor . Paramedics and Volunteers includes Kamal Sharma , Raghav Rajput, Gourav Sharma , Rahul Vaid , Mukesh Kumar , Makhan Sharma , Rajinder Singh , Vikas kumar and Nirvair Singh Bali.