“I thought it was indigestion. I get that a lot. Little did I know that it was a sign of Heart attack!”

 Haven’t we all heard the above statement being said? Now, considering cardiac disorders to be the major cause of death globally, India too, has not escaped from the jaws of this deadly disease.

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Heart is a fist-sized organ, that continuously pumps blood throughout the body. It supplies nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and whisks carbon dioxide, and other wastes away. When it stops, functions fail instantly. Considering the heart’s never ending workload, a little more attention every now and then should be accredited to this small wonder! 

 There are several factors and day-to-day activities, which can affect our cardiac health, such as poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking/alcohol consumption, stress, genetic factors, infections and aging.

Any negligence towards our cardiac health, whether long term or even sometimes acute can lead to cardiovascular diseases (a common term for all conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels). These bring down heart’s efficiency, affecting its functions and impacting overall well-being of the body. Some of these diseases include:

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)– Damage of coronary arteries causing decreased blood flow to the organs
• Stroke – Sudden interruption of oxygen-rich blood supply to the brain
• Hypertensive Heart Disease – Heart diseases caused by elevated blood pressure
• Rheumatic Heart Disease – Damage of the heart valves followed by rheumatic fever; caused by streptococcal bacteria
• Inflammatory Heart Disease – Inflammation of the heart induced by microorganisms or toxic elements in the environment
• Congenital Heart Disease – Abnormality of the heart structure that is present since birth

Prevention is always better than cure. Partaking a healthy heart profile in time is one of the most accurate ways to assess the well-being of your heart.

 Testing for Cardiac Health

1. Lipid Profile-A complete cholesterol profile is an easy indicator that checks the levels of good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol in the body. This panel includes Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL and Triglycerides.
2. Cardiac Risk Markers- Certain biomarkers level such as Apolipoprotein B (ApoB), Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, Homocysteine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) can be evaluated to determine one’s risk for Coronary Heart Disease, heart attack or stroke.
3. High Sensitivity Troponin I (hsTnI) Test- It allows the detection of very low levels of Troponin T, a protein found in the heart muscles, that helps to diagnose heart attacks more quickly.

Cardiac health directly affects the quality of life one leads. To lead a healthy and fulfilling life, paying attention to unhealthy lifestyle or dietary habits is a must. Over time, these can cause obesity, stress and reduce stamina. In order to prevent it or tackle it at the root, focus must be on its early diagnosis, followed by treatment protocols and lifestyle modifications to keep heart diseases in check.

Put your cardiac health at the top of your to-do list in the year 2020!

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