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Heart disease spreading among the young
Ayurveda & You
EYESIGHT
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Heart disease spreading among the young
A 23-year-old young man with an acute onset of severe central chest pain with sweating is wheeled in a hospital’s emergency ward. Immediately duty doctors and other staff members attend to him. He is diagnosed to be suffering from acute myocardial infarction (massive heart attack). He is immediately taken to the cath lab and emergency coronary angiography is done from his arm. His main artery of the heart, the left anterior descending artery is 100 per cent occluded with thrombus (blood clot). This artery is immediately opened up and a metal stent is placed by a procedure called coronary angioplasty. These days it is a very common scene in cardiac super speciality hospitals in India. Atherosclerosis, the process of deposition of cholesterol in coronary arteries (which supply heart muscle), starts in adolescence. It manifests as coronary artery disease or heart attack at a comparatively early age in those who smoke, are hypertensive or diabetic and in those with high and bad cholesterols. Even some of those who do not have these traits and habits also suffer at a very young age and have very advanced atherosclerosis. Evaluation: In young population, there is a need for identifying and correcting the conventional risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hyperlipidaemia, tobacco consumption and central obesity at a much earlier age. India is already the diabetes capital of world and soon it is going to become the hypertension capital of the world. Newer risk factors: Evaluation of newer risk factors must be done in selected cases. These risk factors work synergistically with the conventional risk factors and increase the heart disease risk many-fold. Lipoprotein-a (Lp-a) is a genetic risk factor recognised as an independent risk factor for heart disease, not affected by any lifestyle modifications, changes in diet and exercise. It magnifies the atherogenic potential of high cholesterol and promotes early atherosclerosis and thrombosis. It is a stronger risk factor than diabetes for heart disease in younger women. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) strongly and independently predicts the risk of heart attack, stroke, development of diabetes and sudden death. High triglyceride levels are also found more often in young Indians and they bring qualitative changes in LDL particles producing smaller, denser and more atherogenic particles. Management: To stop the rising menace of heart attacks in the young and prevent associated complications like heart failure, cardiogenic shock and life-threatening arrhythmias, it is mandatory to have a high index of suspicion of heart disease in young population, particularly in those who present with atypical symptoms. Young men and women, who are asymptomatic but have a background of coronary risk factors, must be investigated by stress ECG or stress echocardiography periodically. In those who are having evidence of exercise-induced reversible ischaemic changes and those who are symptomatic, coronary angiography must be carried out to delineate the culprit lesions for timely and appropriate intervention. Young population should be aware of the risk factors for the development of heart disease. They should get their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol checked regularly. Stop smoking and even avoid the company of smokers. Exercise regularly at least half an hour a day and avoid sedentary a life-style. Do not indulge in unhealthy eating habits. Avoid fast and fatty food culture, which is rapidly spreading among the younger generation. If there is any evidence of heart disease, do not hesitate to get a proper cardiac check-up and evaluation done. The writer is consultant cardiologist, Prime Heart and Vascular Institute, Mohali. Email:
tpsinghtp@yahoo.co.in
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Ayurveda & You
Called “kashtartava” in ayurvedic parlance, dysmenorrhoea is a condition which refers to the pain or discomfort associated with menstruation. Though slight uneasiness during or before the periods is considered to be normal, for many women and adolescent girls the severity of such pain and distress makes it difficult to perform normal household cores or school-related activities. Symptoms of dysmenorrhoea may begin a few days before or just at the start of the periods and disappear as the menstrual flow diminishes or stops. Dysmenorrhoea is generally classified as of two types - primary and secondary. The former affects the young women and is usually not related to any specific problem of the uterus or other pelvic organs. The secondary dysmenorrhoea develops later and is associated with a number of conditions such as pelvic infections, endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, intrauterine devices, sexually transmitted diseases and stress and anxiety. The symptoms of dysmenorroea include cramps in the lower abdomen and pain in the back and thighs. Many women complain of nausea, dizziness, headache, fatigue, symptoms of general rundown and flu-like conditions. Anxiety, stress and irritability related to this uncomfortable state added with the loss of work and cessation of normal activity enhance all these symptoms and sometimes the situation for young women becomes embarrassing. Though various types of treatments are given to the patients who suffer from dysmenorrhoea, self-care is considered to be the best form of management. A warm bath or heating pad applied to the lower abdomen helps reduce pain and spasm. Women doing regular exercises at gyms should limit their workouts to mere walking during the periods. Sometimes cramps are really incapacitating, and in such cases only minimum activities should be performed because complete bed rest is sometimes impossible for the school-going girls and working women. As a home remedy, taking a hot brew of a combination of common kitchen herbs like zeera, ajwain and saunf relieves the cramps and allays the feeling of nausea and dizziness. Though ashoka is the foremost herb to be used in all gynecological problems, as a single herb its dose and timings need to be individualised. Aloe, hing, ginger, calamus, jatamansi and nutmeg are the other effective herbs to be used to cure dysmenorroea. The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior ayurvedic consultant. E mail - yourhealth@rediffmail.com
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EYESIGHT
Mr Jindal, a 42-year-old executive, felt on top of the world with a steady income, good health prospects and a happy family. One day, however, while accidentally closing one eye, he noticed that his left eye seemed to have some areas of missing vision. He rushed to an ophthalmologist and was diagnosed as having advanced glaucoma in one eye and early glaucomatous changes in the other. Suddenly, the world seemed dark for him. After a comprehensive ophthalmic examination and an array of tests, a laser procedure was performed and anti-glaucoma drops were initiated. His pressure soon returned to near normal. A dialogue with his doctor made him fully understand the nature of this disease. Glaucoma is called a silent thief of sight because in the early stages of the disease there may be no symptoms. This condition threatens vision and is known to gradually steal sight without any warning. Is there a cure? Glaucoma cannot be cured but it can be controlled so that further damage to the optic nerve can be slowed or halted. This can only be done through disciplined and regular treatment by an ophthalmologist. The treatment of glaucoma is life-long. Useful tips
Possible symptoms
You are at risk for glaucoma if the following factors are there:
The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. Email: drmahipal@gmail.com
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Health Notes London: A new study led by scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has found new links between a common form of inherited blindness affecting children and a gene known as Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI1). The findings may help in the development of new therapies and improved techniques for diagnosing the retinal disease. A newly recognised class of disorder known as "ciliopathies" has gripped the medical community. Ciliopathies are caused by problems in the structure and/or function of cilia, which are small antenna-like structures protruding from cells' surface. Ciliopathies patients may suffer from problems like retinal blindness, obesity, renal failure, liver fibrosis and mental impairment. —
ANI
Weight loss pill 'could
be deadly'
Melbourne: A weight-loss pill popular in Australia has been found to be potentially fatal. Therapeutic Goods Administration has ordered doctors to stop prescribing the drug to the overweight after a clinical trial showed its hazardous effects, reports the Daily Telegraph. The decision has driven women desperate to obtain the drug sibutramine, marketed as Reductil, to the Internet to get around the ban. The TGA has imposed restrictions after almost 200 reports of adverse reactions to the drug. Reductil has been linked to strokes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, anxiety and at least one death in Australia. — ANI
Good dental hygiene may
not stop tooth decay
London: Good dental hygiene does not necessarily stop tooth enamel from decaying. Experts have pointed the two factors — too little saliva and inadequate fluoride — that can contribute to tooth decay. Saliva supplies high levels of calcium and phosphate particles that enhance protection of the tooth's enamel surface, which protects the teeth. Also, it washes away food and the sticky film of acid-producing plaque that can cling to teeth. But certain medical conditions — Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, diabetes and HIV or AIDS — or their treatments can lead to dry mouth. —
ANI
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Mr
Jindal, a 42-year-old executive, felt on top of the world with a steady income, good health prospects and a happy family. One day, however, while accidentally closing one eye, he noticed that his left eye seemed to have some areas of missing vision. He rushed to an ophthalmologist and was diagnosed as having advanced glaucoma in one eye and early glaucomatous changes in the other.
