Heart Failure Clinic

Apollo Hospitals launches dedicated Heart Failure Clinic!

The rising incidence of heart failure in the population is of grave concern and a huge burden on the nation
Prevalence as high as 4.85 million, with five lakh patients adding on every year
Dedicated Apollo Heart Failure Clinic will aid to reassure patients & improve quality of life

Hyderabad, September 28th, 2016: Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, announced the launch of Heart Failure Clinic, on Wednesday at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. Dr A G K Gokhale, Consultant Cardiothoracic, Transplant Surgeon and Dr Jayakeerthi Y. Rao, Consultant Heart Failure Specialist & Dr.Vijay Dikshit, Sr.Consultant CT Surgeon disclosed the functioning of a dedicated Heart Failure Clinic at the hospital, at a Press Conference organised on the eve of World Heart Day – 29th September, 2016.

Heart Failure, a condition in which a weakened heart has trouble pumping enough blood throughout the body, is acquiring epidemic proportions in India, off late. However it doesn’t imply complete cessation of heart functioning, but a lack of adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to meet the body’s requirements. This results in reduced quality of life, frequent hospitalization and high mortality. Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic and progressive condition that can be managed but sometimes cured. The recent advances in technology, drug discovery and advances in surgery, aid in effectively managing the condition, besides significantly improving the quality of life of the patient. Treatment coupled with appropriate lifestyle modifications can help in arresting the progression of the disease. Hence early diagnosis and treatment is of prime importance.

The alarming rise in the incidence of heart failure especially amongst the younger population of our country needs to be curbed, as the overall consequences of it can be catastrophic. Educating the populace on the necessary lifestyle modifications is the way forward, says Dr A G K Gokhale. India has to do a lot to reduce the burden of Heart Failure and also provide curative and rehabilitative services to these patients, which is a huge challenge, he adds.

The estimated prevalence of Heart Failure in India is 4.85 million, with five lakh patients adding on every year to this number. The disease onset here is a decade earlier than western patients, with 45% of Heart Failure patients being less than 60 years of age. The increase in the prevalence of Heart Failure is further underscored by the recent observation of up to 40% of patients with heart failure having normal left ventricular function. HF is also the cause for high mortality and readmission rates, which is twice of all admissions for cancers. Studies also indicate that the frequency of sudden death was much higher during the first 14 days after admission, as much as 70% of all deaths.

A dedicated heart failure clinic is the need of the hour to monitor and manage the condition effectively. Apollo’s repository of knowledge in treating a large base heart failure patients and the tried and tested protocols in place, aid in reassuring the patients and improving their quality of life, says Dr Jayakeerthi Y. Rao. The epidemics of Diabetes, Hypertension and Ischemic heart disease is giving rise to a steady increase in incidence of Heart Failures, he points out. We want to be part of the prevention strategy and help to deal with this problem, he adds.

The reasons of Heart Failure could be damage to the heart muscle caused by coronary artery disease or too much strain on the heart because of years of untreated high blood pressure or an abnormal heart valve. The typical symptoms of a Heart Failure are difficulty in breathing, chronic cough, swollen ankles, legs and abdomen, weight gain, frequent urination during night, loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, rapid or irregular heartbeats, patients often experience a pounding sensation in the chest. Minor lifestyle modifications like consuming healthy diet, regular exercise, monitoring & controlling hypertension, limiting salt consumption, reducing stress, give up smoking, tobacco chewing and drinking alcohol, can go a long way in the prevention and arresting of Heart Failure.

According to Dr.Vijay Dikshit, Sr.Consultant CT Surgeon, Heart Failure is an advance condition of any heart disease as heart diseases are increasing in India every year so as the heart failure. At present we have estimated 5 million people with heart failure in India. The population above 60 years is increasing therefore end stage heart failure is also at the rapid raise.

It is a difficult condition to treat and some years with medicine only method of treatment, but now with advances in medical field there are many other treatment options are available like heart transplantation which is increasingly done in our country. Now there are other mechanical devises like LAVD (left ventricular assist device) TAH(total articular heart) pace makers (CRT) are available and can help the patients at large to overcome the problem.

Never the less these are expensive devises and challenge to our health care system to incorporate them in regular system. We hope in future more sophisticated and advanced devises will be available at affordable rates to treat the fatal disease of heart failure.

About Apollo Hospitals

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap Reddy made a pioneering endeavor by launching India’s first corporate hospital – Apollo Hospital in Chennai. Now, as Asia largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes more than 10000 beds across 65 Hospitals, 2000 Pharmacies, 92 Primary Care and Diagnostic Clinics, 100 Telemedicine units across 10 countries. Health Insurance services, Global Projects Consultancy, 15 colleges of Nursing and Hospital Management and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research and the first Proton Therapy Center across Asia, Africa and Australia.

In a rare honor, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo’s contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 30 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.