Press Coverage

“Heart Failure” a team of Doctors from Paras Super-specialty Hospital Panchkula, addressed media persons today. Present on the occasion were Dr. H K Bali, Chairman Cardiac Sciences, Dr. Anurag Sharma, Associate Director Cardiology, Dr. Kapil Chattree, Senior Consultant Cardiology, and Dr. Gagandeep Singh, Consultant Cardiology from Paras Super Specialty Hospital, Panchkula.

• The mortality rate of heart failure significantly higher in India but less than 50% of patients of heart failure in India receive optimum therapy- Dr. H.K Bali
• Heart failure is acquiring pandemic proportions with elderly populations especially susceptible- Dr. Anurag Sharma
• “Heart Failure, a medical condition when heart muscles become weak and the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently through the body
• India is home to approximately 10 million heart failure patients.
• Shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in legs, persistent cough, lack of appetite & fluid retention are common symptoms of heart failure

Chandigarh 17^th Dec 20: To Create awareness on “Heart Failure” a team of Doctors from Paras Super-specialty Hospital Panchkula, addressed media persons today. Present on the occasion were Dr. H K Bali, Chairman Cardiac Sciences, Dr. Anurag Sharma, Associate Director Cardiology, Dr. Kapil Chattree, Senior Consultant Cardiology, and Dr. Gagandeep Singh, Consultant Cardiology from Paras Super Specialty Hospital, Panchkula.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. H.K Bali, Chairman Cardiac Sciences, Paras Hospitals Panchkula, who has experience of more than 30 years in Cardiology and has done over 15000 cardiac interventions, said “Heart Failure is a medical condition where the heart muscles become weak and the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently through the body. India is home to approximately 10 million heart failure patients. A recent study has shown that heart failure patients in India have mortality rates of almost 23% after 1 year of diagnosis. This is significantly higher than the mortality rates of patients in other parts of the world.’

Dr. Bali shared that heart failure often develops due to conditions like coronary artery disease, faulty heart valves, rigidity in the heart muscles, birth defects, arrhythmias, high blood pressure, infections, etc. Common symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, swelling in legs, persistent cough, lack of appetite & fluid retention. Treatment modalities for heart failure include lifestyle modification, restriction of salt & fluid, regular exercise, weight reduction, Control of BP, blood sugar levels & cholesterol, medicines including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics, newer drugs like ARNI and SGLT2 inhibitors, and device therapy including implantation of AICD, CRT-P, and CRT-D. If the blockage is the cause of heart failure, balloon angioplasty or bypass surgery is indicated. Lack of awareness on heart failure, its symptoms, treatment options, and management amongst the general population significantly increases the risk of morbidity and mortality.

Dr. Bali stated that though dedicated heart failure clinics to provide the optimum treatment are a well-known concept in the western world, the same is lacking in India. Less than 50% of heart failure patients in India end up receiving optimum therapy.  Keeping this in mind, Paras Hospitals Panchkula has started a dedicated Heart Failure Clinic, conducted every week on Thursdays, it is a one-stop solution for heart failure patients, where patients are evaluated and offered therapies like AICD, CRT- D, CRT-P as well as heart assist devices like LVAD in advanced heart failure.

Sharing his views on the occasion, Dr. Anurag Sharma, Associate Director Cardiology, Paras Hospitals Panchkula, said that heart failure is a complex syndrome, where the heart is not capable of meeting the nutritional and oxygen requirements of the body. It is an ever-increasing problem acquiring pandemic proportions affecting almost 26 million people worldwide. Elderly populations are at especially high risk. Timely detection and optimum therapy go a long way in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure.

Dr. Kapil Chattree, Senior Consultant Cardiology, Paras Hospitals Panchkula, added that there is a misconception in the general public that heart attack, cardiac arrest, and heart failure are the same. However, these are different problems that can coexist.

 On this occasion, Dr. Gagandeep Singh, Consultant Cardiology, Paras Hospitals Panchkula, said that awareness regarding heart failure symptoms, evaluation, and treatment is the key to combat this critical but manageable disease. He also shared that Paras Hospitals Panchkula is now empanelled with Haryana Govt, Himachal Govt, CGHS, all major TPAS & corporates for all kinds of cardiac treatment.

 5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Failure:

1. Know your risk factors – Hypertension, Diabetes & Cholesterol
2. Know your symptoms- breathlessness, swelling, fatigue
3. Go for regular preventive health packages
4. Get your blockage treated on time
5. Seek optimal therapy including device implantation