This year we will make 2012 the year of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention among women and children because:
Women/children and CVD are not synonymous:- CVD is commonly considered an “older persons” and a “man’s” disease
- Women underestimate their CVD risk; even though almost half of the 17.3 million annual deaths occur in women
Children
are particularly at risk, since they have little control over their
environment and can be limited in choices to live heart-healthily
Unless action is taken to enable heart-healthy activity, the children of today are at increased CVD risk later in life
Women/mothers are often the « gate keeper » to their family’s health hence a key influencer in keeping their hearts healthy
Bihar Capital is hosting its first East India Heart
Valve symposium on the occasion of World Heart Day here in
which several experts would discuss the reason behind the rise in the
incidence of rheumatic heart disease in the country.
According to experts, the incidence of rheumatic heart disease is
higher in India than what is believed. Rheumatic heart disease was
thought to be on the wane in India because of improving standards of
living but the estimated echocardiographically detected rheumatic heart disease in India is as bad as in Mozambique (21.5 cases per 1000).
Prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among children in northern India
is as high as 20.4/1000 school children as against 1/1000 children
earlier believed. The adult average ranges between 120 and 200 per
100,000 populations, said an expert.
According to Dr Ajit Pradhan, organizing secretary
of the symposium - if only the preventive aspect and health care
delivery system is improved, this major health hazard can be taken care
of and done away with, as in the West. To address this major health
problem, ST Iude Medical in association with JeevaK Heart Hospital &
Research Institute, Patna, several experts are gathering here.
Valvular heart disease is one of the commonest heart
disease afflicting the Indians, and people in other developing nations.
The developed countries have witnessed a dramatic decline in incidence
of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the 20 thcentury but it is a major health care concern in developing countries.
Most common cause of valvular heart disease is secondary to rheumatic
fever and is called rheumatic heart disease, where heart valves are
affected. Patients affected with this chronic disabling life threatening
illness end up with Open heart surgery where their valves are
replaced-----with its own set of problems, said another expert.
Prevention of this disease is very important but, unfortunately
penicillin - the basic injection for prevention and treatment is quite
often not available, as most pharmaceutical company have stopped
manufacturing it.
The result is that only 36% of patient with moderate
or severe disease and only 20% of those, who have undergone
valve-replacement surgery in India are receiving secondary prophylaxis
with penicillin.
Amongst the speakers are - Dr. Ajay Kaul of
Escorts hospital,
Dr. Pramod Kumar, HoD Fortis hospital, Shalimar Bagh
Delhi ,
Dr. Ajit Pradhan
Dr. S S Chatterjee and
Dr. R K Agarwal (all both
from Patna).
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