World Heart Day 2024: Why timely cardiac screening can be life-saving for people

Every year, World Heart Day is observed on September 29 around the globe. Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock

Given the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular issues across the country, individuals must undergo annual cardiac screenings. Heart attacks, heart failure, and sudden cardiac arrests are causing higher morbidity and mortality rates, cardiac screening helps to identify potential heart conditions early and enhance overall well-being.

Every year, World Heart Day is observed on September 28 around the globe with the aim to raise awareness about heart disease. This year the theme is 'Heart for Action', which urges people to take important actions to keep their heart healthy and promote general well-being. To do this, experts advise focussing on your heart health by scheduling essential tests such as blood work, electrocardiograms (ECG), stress tests, and echocardiograms to promote better cardiovascular health.

Heart problems are increasingly becoming a major concern not only in elders but also in the younger generation. Factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary choices, and increased levels of stress can significantly contribute to worsening heart health.

Various factors such as stress, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits, can raise one's chances of heart problems such as heart attack, heart failure, and cardiac arrest. Moreover, unmanaged blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels are also causing cardiac problems in people of all age groups. Hence, once with a family history of heart disease, over the age of 25, athletes, and certain medical conditions like thyroid, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and kidney diseases should go for cardiac screening regularly.

Regular cardiac screening every year will help to detect heart health issues in its early stage, allowing for timely intervention. With the help of cardiac screening, you may identify your risk factors and make necessary lifestyle adjustments to mitigate your risk while keeping your heart healthy.

Dr Abhik Banerjee, zonal technical chief East & Pathologist, Apollo Diagnostic, Kolkata, explains, "Cardiac screening is a preventive measure to protect your heart from several life-threatening diseases heart attack, cardiac arrest, heart failure, angina, stroke, heart valve diseases, and arrhythmia. A variety of tests are done to effectively asses an individual's heart health including blood tests to measure your blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and the functioning of your kidneys. This can help detect any abnormalities as these factors can heighten your risk of experiencing a cardiovascular disease. An electrocardiogram (ECG) can help monitor the electrical activity of the heart to detect any irregularities in the heartbeats or any other potential issues. Cardiac screening also includes a stress test, where an individual is asked to walk or run on a treadmill while their heart is being examined. This helps determine how well your heart can handle physical exertion and if you have any underlying heart conditions that may become problematic during exercise."

Dr Banerjee adds, "Test like an echocardiogram uses sound waves to create images of your heart's structure and functions. By looking at these images, doctors can see how well your heart is working and check the heart's size and shape while looking for any deformities like valve problems or thickening of the heart muscles. Apart from cardiac screening, CT scan or MRI measure the degree of damage to the heart and the surrounding blood vessels, angiogram helps to check blockages in the heart. Regular blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring can help to avoid heart attacks. Moreover, one should also take a lipid profile test to manage high cholesterol levels and prevent heart problems. Cardiac markers like TROP T (Troponin T), TROP I (Troponin I), and CK MB ( Creatine Kinase MB )are a type of substances that are released into the bloodstream when the heart is stressed or about to get damaged. They are effectively used by doctors to timely diagnose and manage conditions like Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), acute myocardial infarction (MI) also known as heart attack. In a month, around 15-20 people in the age group 25-55 come for cardiac screening as they are having symptoms such as chest pain and increased heartbeats. However, there is still a lack of awareness regarding cardiac screening."

Individuals are advised to take proactive steps to safeguard their cardiovascular health to mitigate the risk of cardiac diseases. "Focus on eating well-balanced and healthy meals that contain essential nutrients for the betterment of your health. Aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep. Lifestyle modifications like exercising for more than 45 minutes, limiting your alcohol consumption, managing stress levels, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular checkups and follow-ups are crucial for heart health," concludes Dr Banerjee.