The Heart of the Matter

CREDITED WITH the highest number of heart surgeries and transplants and one of the best pools of cardiac professionals, Chennai is the natural leader to make the clarion call on the first ever World Heart Day today.

The call is for the prevention of a possible epidemic of heart diseases, particularly that of coronary artery diseases.

It is the alarming rise of heart diseases in the developing world, in a mismatch with a declining trend in the advanced countries, that has resulted in the World Heart Day. The central message of this day, promoted by the Geneva-based World Heart Foundation and supported by WHO and UNESCO, is that heart diseases are preventable and controllable. ``The build up for the problem happens over years and hence prevention messages should start with children,`` says Dr. V. V. Bashi of Malar Heart Foundation. Intervention for treating CAD has come down in the West, but it is going up here. It is a dangerous trend and should be controlled, adds the leading surgeon.

Without proper accent on prevention, heart diseases is projected to become the number one killer in countries like India in 2020 A.D. The World Heart Day, which is also promoted by the All India Heart Foundation, the Cardiological Society of India and the Saffola Healthy Heart Foundation, hence aims to drive home prevention messages based mainly on healthy food habits and physical activity like exercise. ''Quitting smoking, controlling obesity, regular physical exercise, controlling blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, practising some relaxation techniques like yoga and good diet with lots of vegetables and fruits`` is leading cardiologist's Dr. K. P. Mishra's prescription.

Besides the rising incidence of the problem, a disturbing trend is that more and more young people are falling victims to heart attacks. ''Like treatment, we should reach western standards in prevention too``.

But ace surgeon, Dr. K. M. Cherian, turns the focus to heart diseases which are hardly preventable. The only solution here is transplant and the route for that is promotion of organ donation. ``The awareness almost nil,'' says the surgeon who has done seven transplants.

The success story of Mr. Sudarashan, a businessman, will justify the frustration in Dr. Cherian's words. Five years ago, Dr. Cherian could locate a donor heart for Mr. Sudarshan who then was sinking. The patient not only recovered from his near- fatal condition, but went on to participate in the Sidney Olympics of people who underwent transplants in 1997. ``I am more confident now and am fired up to do more things,'' says Mr.Sudarshan. Ms.Maimoon Biwi, the first patient who underwent transplant at Madras Medical Mission, has already completed five years. ``More people should come forward to donate organs,'' says Mr. Sudarshan.

By G.Pramod Kumar

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