Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Day’s message: stay fit for a healthy heart

Thiruvananthapuram: Doctors have stressed the need to focus on preventive cardiology to bring down the incidence of heart diseases in the community.

While there have been spectacular advances in the treatment of heart problems, these are very expensive and unaffordable and inaccessible to most in the country. The focus instead should be on preventive aspects so that the disease burden in the population can be brought down, cardiologists pointed out.

World Heart Day was observed on Sunday by most hospitals in the city, with free medical camps, heart health check-ups and public awareness programmes on preventing heart diseases.

Lifestyle modifications are the need of the hour and people should be made aware of the specific risk factors for heart attacks. Diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol can be a deadly combination and the risk of heart attacks increases manifold if a person is in the habit of smoking.

Regular exercise and a diet that is fibre-rich and low in fat can keep the heart healthy. People should also undergo routine blood tests at least once in six months so that any risk factors can be picked up early, doctors said.

Sree Uthradom Thirunal Hospital (SUT) organised ‘Hridaya Sangamam’ to mark World Heart Day. Former heart patients who had been successfully treated at the SUT, teachers and medical students got together on the occasion.

At the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, over 300 persons turned up for the free medical camp. All were screened for their lipid profile, while other investigations and ECG were done for those who required it.

About 25 new cases who were at an increased risk of heart attacks were detected, Head of Cardiology Department K. Suresh said.

Public awareness lectures on various aspects of heart diseases were also conducted.

The cardiovascular centre at Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute organised an awareness programme on heart diseases and a free medical camp for heart check-up. The programme was inaugurated by Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran.

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