Doctors from Rajasthan discuss measures to #BeatHeartFailure

Heart diseases have surged at an alarming rate. Cardiologists believe that Indians are ten times more susceptible to die of heart disease when compared to those settled in other parts of the world. The Interheart Study also states that 50% of patients dying of heart failure are under 50 years of age. Taking cognizance of this developing situation, The Times of India along with Novartis, began ‘Beat Heart Failure’ – an awareness initiative that began in 2019 and has reached lakhs of people.About 6.5 lacs people have already used the symptom checker, which is a tool that helps them understand heart failure symptoms better.
The Beat Heart Failure movement seeks to spread awareness about the timely diagnosis of heart failure and its management. It also emphasizes on the need to have a national heart failure registry that contains all patient data and can help in monitoring progress.
To further get an in-depth understanding of India’s silent killer, a webinar was conducted. In attendance were:

The panellists dived into some critical topics like the burden of heart failure in India, the relationship between heart failure, diabetes and hypertension, the impact of the on-going pandemic on the management of heart failure along with several other topics. Dr Raghu Sharma lauded the #BeatHeartFailure initiative. He says, “This is a very significant initiative. I am hoping that with this seminar, people in Rajasthan will be aware of the reasons that lead to heart failure, and will take the right measures to be a lot safer.”
Dr Sharma further went on to add that the government is taking measures to help reduce the financial strain. He says, “Cardiac medicines are known to be expensive, but we are working on a way to give them for free.”
The discussion began with an understanding of the different types of heart failures. Dr Pathak began by giving a clear insight and definition to heart failure. He says, “When the heart muscle is unable to pump blood in the body for oxygenation at a rate which is required by the tissues for them to be functioning properly is heart failure. So, it is not ultimately death but it is a continuum which starts with the lack of proper functioning of the heart leading up to death. So, it is a spectrum.”
Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma said that the government has been putting in the work to prevent and control major NCDs. He spoke of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) through which data collection had already commenced. He further says, “We identify high-risk groups, and refer them to the necessary medical authorities. It is a three-tier process. People aged above 30, when they come to the OPDs, we test their BP and sugar levels. We also do a lifestyle check with questions on smoking, alcohol and obesity. Basis of the score they get, we recommend them to seek medical advice. They are also identified as cardiac, diabetic or with hypertension, and then a course of treatment is started. We also give them recommendations on how their lifestyle can be improved.”
The need for a heart failure registry was brought out in the session. Case in point being the Trivandrum registry, which has proven to be effective, Dr Rajeev Bagarhatta says, “To create an awareness about heart failure in the society, we need a proper registry. Not only will this help us in devising a proper strategy to deal with the problem, but also at the same time, it will make people aware of this disease. The State Government, along with medical institutions, can play a part in this.”
While Rajasthan has been aggressively pursuing rural health care, its progress was brought out in creating a focussed approach towards dealing with heart failure, which would involve medical professionals and government officials too. He further spoke about the need for having heart failure clinics.
Dr Chishti also spoke about dealing with this issue in levels. For the ones who were on the younger side of age, they could take some accountability and change their lifestyles, which has played a part in mushrooming the number of cases of heart failure, and the registry could work for end-stage patients.
You can check out the webinar here.
Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of Beat Heart Failure by Times Internet’s Spotlight team.