A Celebrity Fitness Coach has a Heart Attack While Climbing Stairs. Read more to avoid making the same mistakes that he did!

Rajeev is a fitness coach living the fast-paced metropolitan life! He is a bachelor in his late thirties, and has a great track record of helping his clients reach their fitness objectives.

Even though he’s excellent at training others, he constantly neglects taking care of himself, ignoring persistent problems such as sweating profusely and experiencing shortness of breath when engaging in certain physical activities like walking fast for a short period or climbing a flight of stairs.

One day, while climbing the stairs to his apartment, Rajeev began experiencing immense pain in his chest and consequently collapsed on the spot. Luckily, his neighbour found him and immediately called Apollo Hospitals.  

Rajeev was rushed to the hospital without delay and was referred to Apollo’s cardiology team. His doctor ran an angiogram and found that he had a coronary artery disease that needed immediate surgery called Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

This diagnosis shocked Rajeev as he always thought his breathlessness was a symptom of ageing and perhaps exaggerated due to lack of exercise. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that it was a symptom of an underlying heart condition – especially given the fact that he was not visibly obese and thought he  led a fit and healthy  lifestyle

Rajeev’s cardiologist at Apollo Heart Institute explained that early symptoms of coronary artery disease tend to go unnoticed, and the condition will worsen till there is enough arterial blockage to cause major symptoms and complications. Rajeev had a heart attack because the blood supply to his heart muscle had continued to deteriorate as a result of increased blockage of a coronary artery. The tissue was dying as blood flow to the afflicted portion of the heart muscle could not  be restored naturally.

His cardiologist reassured him and asked him not to worry. He expressed confidence, given 10,000+ hours of combined experience in cardiovascular care possessed by Apollo, that they would  be able to treat Rajeev’s condition successfully and enrol him into a special post-operative recovery plan that would be highly effective in avoiding future complications and quickly achieving normalcy, the Apollo Healthy Heart program.

What is the Apollo Healthy Heart Program?

Introduced by the Apollo Heart Institute, Apollo Healthy Heart Program is India’s first-ever heart disease prevention and reversal program. This program is tailored to promote a healthy heart and reduce the risk of:

• heart diseases
• stroke and heart attacks
• reversing the recovery from heart disease

This program is designed to keep patients informed about preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases through education and exercise. The Healthy Heart Program includes education and support on a variety of risk factors that can affect heart health, including diet, activity, cholesterol, and diabetes.

The program’s goal is to help patients live well by lowering their risk of heart and blood vessel illness, as well as preserving and improving their heart health.

But before joining this program, an emergency CABG surgery had to be performed  on Rajeev. Before we learn more on how Rajeev responded to the CABG surgery and the Healthy Heart program, let’s quickly look at what  coronary artery disease and CABG is.

What is coronary artery disease and CABG?

Coronary artery disease is a medical condition in which the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen to the heart ,  are blocked or become narrow due to the accumulation of plaque. Plaque creates a constriction or blockage in the arteries, leading to a heart attack. Chest pain or discomfort, as well as shortness of breath, are common symptoms.

A Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, or CABG, is a surgical procedure performed for the treatment of coronary artery disease. It helps restore blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart by diverting blood around blocked or congested portions of the major arteries.

What happened to Rajeev once the CABG was performed?

Rajeev’s surgeon advised him to get the surgery as fast as possible, and eliminate the risk of heart attacks in the near future. He also explained that when this procedure was combined with a preventive healthcare program, the Apollo Healthy Heart programme , there wouldn’t need to be any more worries about this condition recurring.  

The CABG procedure usually takes around 3 to 6 hours to complete, which in Rajeev’s case was close to 4 hours, and it was performed under general anesthesia.

Post-surgery, Rajeev was advised to stay in the hospital for close to 7 days. During his recovery, his cardiologist took him through the Apollo Healthy Heart program and educated him on why this program was essential for him, going forward.

What benefits did Rajeev gain by joining the program?

On joining Apollo Healthy Heart program, Rajeev was educated on various healthy lifestyle practices and was able to assimilate  the following information, tips and health-linked regimens:

• His ability to exercise and carry out activities was checked
• His blood cholesterol was checked
• His risk of heart disease was checked
• He received education about his heart health
• He received counseling regarding his diet
• He received an exercise regimen
• He received sessions on yoga and meditation
• He received education from a social worker on smoking cessation,  depression and stress management

Apollo Healthy Heart program also offered Rajeev the following additional benefits:

• Quarterly Healthy heart doctor consultation
• Quarterly cardiologist consultation
• Quarterly dietary consultation
• Quarterly physiotherapist consultation
• Quarterly social worker consultation for patient education
• Quarterly yoga and meditation consultation
• Weekly and monthly calls by a Healthy Heart doctor to ensure compliance with the program

Apollo Healthy Heart Program helped Rajeev get back on track!

Rajeev had to undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) to restore blood flow to his heart muscle after a blockage of one of his coronary arteries. While the surgery was highly effective, Rajeev understood the importance of maintaining a clean, healthy lifestyle; and Apollo Healthy Heart program was the right platform to get him started on this journey.

We must keep in mind that Rajeev’s case is not unique. With many working professionals completely dedicating their time and energy to their jobs, the prevalence of heart diseases is at an all-time high. People, especially working professionals, need to be educated on the importance of putting health first, and building a healthy and sustainable lifestyle around it. That’s why it’s highly recommended to join Apollo Healthy Heart program to gain complete control of your heart’s health and avoid life-threatening situations (like heart attacks) from happening in the future.