Advanced Heart Failure Centre now at Paras Hospitals Panchkula: Dr H.K Bali  

Chandigarh: To Create awareness on “Heart Failure" a team of Doctors from Paras Superspeciality 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 an 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, arrythmias, 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 life style 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 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 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 occassion, 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 nutritional and oxygen requirement of 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 Chattrjee , 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 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 empaneled with Haryana Govt, Himachal Govt ,CGHS, all major TPAS & corporates for all kinds of cardiac treatment.