World Heart Day: Cardiac issues preventable with awareness and timely action, say experts

New Delhi: The human heart is resilient, but is not immune to the damage caused by untreated risk factors, experts said, underlining that machines or medicines are not the greatest safeguards, but raising awareness about early warning signs and timely action are.

On World Heart Day, doctors said that the majority of premature deaths due to cardiovascular diseases can be prevented with timely screening, early treatment and healthier lifestyles.

One untreated blockage can take away a life in minutes, Dr Ashok Seth, chairman, cardiac sciences, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said.

"The tragedy is that most heart attacks are not out of the blue. People often experience chest tightness, unusual breathlessness, or unexplained fatigue days or weeks in advance," Dr Seth said The problem is that these signals are ignored until it is too late, he said, adding, "The World Heart Day should remind us all that recognising symptoms early and acting fast can make the difference between life and death." Dr Atul Mathur, chairman, interventional cardiology and chief of Cath Lab, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, explained that the dangerous triad of obesity, diabetes and hypertension silently injures arteries over time, eventually resulting in sudden blockages.

"Yet the risk can be reversed," he said.

Dr Narender Saini, former general secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that medical advances are saving lives every day, but nothing replaces the simplest habit - ”listening to your body.

"Chest discomfort, breathlessness, or sudden fatigue are not minor complaints; they are warnings. Acting on these signs with one timely consultation can protect decades of healthy life. The greatest safeguard for the heart is not found in machines or medicines, but in awareness about the above early warning signs and timely action," Dr Saini said.

Dr Mohsin Wali, senior consultant, internal medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, stressed the importance of integrating preventive awareness with long-term care.

"India cannot afford to fight heart disease only inside hospitals. Prevention must start at home and in the community - through healthy eating, exercise, and early health check-ups. As a physician, I have seen countless families devastated by late recognition of heart symptoms. Our collective priority should be to build a culture where prevention and timely medical consultation are as valued as treatment." Globally, CVD kills more than 20.5 million people every year, with 85 per cent of these deaths caused by heart attacks and strokes.

India mirrors this global emergency, they stated.

Rising rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension, combined with smoking, poor diets and increasingly sedentary routines, are pushing heart disease into younger age groups, experts said.

Regular physical activity, controlling weight, giving up tobacco, eating balanced diets and going for routine screenings are powerful shields against heart attacks. India needs a cultural shift from reacting to disease to preventing it, Dr Mathur stated.

Dr Praveer Aggarwal, chairman, interventional cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said that technology has improved outcomes dramatically, but speed remains critical.

"We are now treating patients with advanced imaging, minimally invasive angioplasty and next-generation surgical robots that make procedures safer and recovery quicker.

"Earlier this year, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute teams moved a live heart across Delhi in just 27 minutes through a green corridor, saving a patient in need of a transplant. We also operated successfully on a one-day-old baby with a rare defect and launched an institute for gene-targeted healthcare," Dr Aggarwal said.

These advances show what is possible today. But technology only helps when patients reach hospital early he stressed.

"One blockage can be fatal, but one timely check-up can save the future," he stated.