Aster Medical Centre, a division of Aster DM Healthcare, a private healthcare provider in the Middle East and India, has launched the Aster Cardiac Club. The Club, which brings together expert cardiologists to conduct specialised informative sessions on the healthy heart, is an initiative by the cardiology department of Aster Medical Centre Plus, Al Hilal.
The inaugural event of the Club was an interactive session on Heart Attack Awareness which was headed by Dr P Raveendran, a Cardiologist with Aster Plus. The group session which was conducted at their premises and over 35 participants attended the event to know what are the symptoms, risk factors, treatment and how to prevent a heart attack.
Commenting on the alarming rates of heart attack related cases and deaths Dr Raveendran said: “With the increase of lifestyle diseases like cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, the rates of heart attack cases have also raised. Heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), is permanent damage to the heart muscle which means death of tissue due to lack of blood supply. Smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, unhealthy dietary practices, obesity, illicit drug use, excessive alcohol consumption, family history, lack of exercise, work stress etc increases the risk of heart attacks by many folds. Discomfort or pain in the chest or beneath the breastbone, dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, choking and indigestion are some of the symptoms of heart attack.”
Speaking about the treatments available for heart attacks, Dr Raveendran said: “Various options are now available for the right treatment of heart attacks. Aspirin, other antiplatelet drugs, fibrinolytic agents and heparin are medicines used in the acute setting to manage heart attack. Beta-blockers, ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and statins are some of the other drugs given to the patients after a heart attack. Primary angioplasty with stent placement is the best available treatment to relieve the block, re-establish blood flow and save lives in cases of a heart attack. In some situations coronary artery bypass surgery also may be required.”
Commenting on the inauguration of Aster Cardiac Club, Dr Sameer Moopan, CEO of Aster DM Healthcare-Qatar, said: “Heart attacks are the number one cause of death in the world right now. Therefore, through Aster Cardiac Club, we aim to educate each and every individual about cardiovascular diseases. At Aster, we always aim to educate the community on the importance of a healthy heart and always reach out to help them with preventive measures to be taken with regard to the heart, so that one can live a positive life ahead.”
The Peninsula
