IMA & HCFI hold public and GP awareness webcast the advancements in heart surgery over the past decade

IMA & HCFI hold public and GP awareness webcast the advancements in heart surgery over the past decade

Dr. OP Yadava and Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal stress on how timely diagnosis and intervention is key to saving lives Anyone can log on to www.ima-india.org/imalive or www.heartcarefoundation.org to watch the webcast live between 3-4pm on June 23, 2016 New Delhi, June 22 2016: Heart disease in the young is on the rise. More and more people under the age of 40 years require cardiac intervention because of defused blockages in the heart arteries due to a faulty lifestyle. If timely awareness is not raised in ways to reverse the increasing incidence of heart disease from its very onset, most people will end up in need of stenting or a bypass surgery in 15-20 years. Aimed at raising awareness amongst the medical fraternity as well as the general public about the need to understand the risks and benefits of heart surgery and to raise awareness about reducing the incidence of coronary artery disease; a webcast will be organized by the Indian Medical Association and Heart Care Foundation of India between 3-4pm tomorrow. The expert faculty for the webcast will include of Dr. OP Yadava Chief Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, National Heart Institute and Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – President HCFI & Honorary Secretary General IMA. High-stress levels characterize the lifestyle of the 21st century Indians. The spend less time engaging in outdoor sports & activities and more time in front of the television, laptop, and iPad. They sleep less, eat mostly unhealthy junk food and are addicted to evils such as smoking and drinking from a fairly young age. They are also extremely competitive making them more stressed than happy. All these factors make them more vulnerable to heart diseases than their ancestors. Coronary artery disease a lifestyle induced disease and therefore is preventable. It is a well-known fact, that jungle animals never need stenting or a bypass surgery because they live in accordance with the laws of nature. Speaking about the webcast, Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Honorary Secretary General IMA said, “Though advancements in cardiac surgery have been dramatic in the past two decade, efforts must be made to control the growing prevalence of heart disease and control symptoms using lifestyle changes and other non-surgical methods till surgery becomes essential. When surgery is a must, it is lifesaving and can add quality and years to one’s life. But surgery is not a license to practice a faulty lifestyle. If after surgery lifestyle modifications are not made, it can be fatal for the patient”. In addition to stenting and bypass surgery for the correction of coronary artery disease, people may also need surgical intervention for valve damage and congenital heart disease. Though heart surgery is a costly affair, there are organizations that come to the aid of poor people. Heart Care Foundation of India through its partnership with the National Heart Institute has been helping save lives of those in need of heart surgery but are unable to afford treatment because of their financial background over the past two years. Any person can apply for the benefits of the project the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund by calling on its helpline number +919958771177. An expert committee comprising of notable individuals would assess all applications received by the fund. Once sanctioned, the funds would be directly deposited in the bank account of the medical establishments treating the patient. Anyone can log on to the live webcast by visiting www.ima-india.org/imalive or www.heartcarefoundation.org between 3-4 pm tomorrow. To get one’s questions answered live, they can call on 9811090206 during that time. The webcast is free for all.