CHENNAI: Finally, there's some good news that involves namma Chennai and the heart. According to a survey conducted by a healthcare major across metros in India, Chennai's people apparently rank highest in terms of awareness levels where the heart and its care are concerned. According to the survey conducted by Lister Metropolis, it has been observed that Chennai is visibly high than any other city in India, which is indicative of people having regular check-ups, reading the signs and knowing when to see a cardiologist. Commenting on the survey, Dr Anita Suryanarayan, VP-Tamil Nadu, Metropolis Healthcare said, “There appears to be an increasing awareness among people to go in for routine check-ups for cardiac and other tests. While earlier males used to outnumber females in going for preventive check-ups, today, the number of females doing the same in preventive check-ups is a norm." Especially with the advent of the World Heart Day that went past last week, it will be evident to any normal person who travels across town that there is no dearth of awareness campaigns nor publicity ventures, conducted by hospitals and pharma companies. While it would be easy to attribute the increased awareness to all these initiatives, city-based cardiologists caution that a higher incidence of heart disease among young adults can be quite a 'shocking' awareness raiser. Recalls Surendran M, who was among the first wave of people who joined the BPO band-wagon in 2005, "Our TL (Team Leader) would always be in a tense mood, and it was a joke amongst us. But one night, when he said he had shooting pain in his left arm, we did not take it too seriously. After the doctors told everyone that he had had a minor cardiac arrest, his team was shocked. He was only 33. We all have made it mandatory to have pressure checks every month and a master health check up, every year, in this office."In fact, over and above the awareness that is created when a family member has heart trouble, seeing a peer suffer at an age when you just do not expect it, can be quite the motivator. Over and above that, all the pamphlets, campaigns with starlets and free heart camps do help, conceded a senior cardiac specialist at MMC. The survey also revealed that other than genetic factors; obesity, stress and modern lifestyles play a dominant role in making men and women prone to coronary diseases in India. Statistics also reveal that 50% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur under the age of 50 years, and 25% under the age of 40.Mere awareness does not translate into compliance with what is preached, avers Dr K R Balakrishnan, Director of Cardiac Sciences at Fortis Malar Hospitals, "Plenty of people in urban areas are well aware of risk indicators, proper diets and so many other heart-related factors but they simply choose not to pay heed." e adds, "There are so many patients that we have seen who, despite being second generation cardiac patients, simply do not see a cardiologist because they lack the time." He says that though awareness levels are much higher compared to five years ago, there is indubitably a long way to go. Still, that's no reason to lose heart!
Comments
0 comment