Most of the people are unaware of Heart Rhythm Disorders: Doctor

On the occasion of World Heart Rhythm Week, Padam Shri awarded Dr. Balbir Singh, Chairman of Cardiology; Pan Max Healthcare has conducted a press conference on June 9 to raise awareness of Arrhythmia’s symptoms and suggested ways to prevent and cure it.

During the briefing, Dr. Singh explained that an arrhythmia is a disorder that affects heartbeat rhythm, which means the irregular pattern of your heartbeat or pulse. When the heart beats faster than normal, it is called tachycardia, and when beats go down than normal, it is called bradycardia.

“Most of the people are unaware of Heart Rhythm Disorder, which indeed makes it more pervasive in India. Arrhythmia isn’t linked to any particular age group, but the young populace is more prone to this cardiac disease due to the sedentary and unorganised lifestyle. Obesity, alcohol, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, etc, make people more vulnerable to Arrhythmia,” Dr. Singh stated.

He also explained that a way to detect the uneven rhythm is when the heart pulse reaches 160-170 or may exceed 200. “In such a situation, positive changes in lifestyle are most recommended. Healthy food habits with reduced consumption of fat, sugar, cholesterol, smoking, and alcohol can ward off the threats of arrhythmia to a great extent,” he said.

Dr. Singh also pointed out that the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest is available in different parts of India, especially in Delhi and the southern part of the country.

On the prevalence of Heart Rhythm Disorder in India, Dr. Balbir Singh told Financial Express.com: “Several studies have highlighted that the sudden cardiac death is the most common cause of death in India. It is more common than any other death. It is even more common than cancer-related deaths. Sudden cardiac death is a heart rhythm disorder. The second is atrial fibrillation which is irregular heartbeat is rising because age is rising, and obesity is rising. People who drink a lot of alcohol also get rhythm disorders. These incidences in our country. These days I am seeing more cases of Rhythm disorders than I ever did in my entire career.”

Dr. Singh also pointed out that the increase in chances of heart attack among obese people happens over a period of time. “I think the transition of dietary change or sedentary lifestyle into a heart attack will take much longer,” he added.

Meanwhile, on the recent developments and upcoming healthcare practices pertaining to Arrhythmia treatment, Dr Singh said, “With an incessant transformation in technology the benefit is engrossed by randomised control trials and scientific data. Currently, France and Netherlands are conducting trials with amalgamating implantable chips which indeed will record ECG and significant symptoms. If the situation worsens, the chip will be activated and the control room will be notified regarding the problem, which later alerts the ambulance to be at the spot and treat an individual accordingly.”

When asked about the cost of the treatment, he told Financial Express: “There is no standard pricing for the treatment, varies from INR 10,000 to 10 Lakhs depending on the technology applied to treat the patient.”

According to a report by the International Journal of Advances in Medicine, arrhythmia is more common in elderly females. The maximum number of patients were found in the age group of 60 – 70 years. Moreover, cardiovascular diseases like heart failure (HF) and cardiac arrhythmias (CA) form a major component of the non-communicable disease burden in India, as per a report in the Indian Heart Journal.