Dr. Vivek Kewalkrishna Mehan

Heart attack or myocardial infarction mostly occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked due to one or more reasons. The most prominent reason could be high fat or cholesterol that results in plaque build up in the coronary artery. The restricted blood flow has the potential to damage or even destroy the heart muscle. Some of the symptoms that can be helpful when it comes to the identification of a heart attack are listed below.

1. Discomfort in the Chest - Your chest may feel tight and pressured when you are about to be hit by a heart attack. Pain or discomfort in the chest is usually central typically felt behind the sternum, the central bone of chest. It may not be pain, it may be only discomfort, it may only be in upper part of tummy, very commonly confused with a gas problem. It is often accompanied by a painful sensation in the chest or arms. If a chest pain lasts more than 15-20 min it can be assumed to be a heart attack. This aching sensation may even spread to your back, neck or jaw.

2. Feeling of inconvenience - Often before the heart attack, the person may have feelings of nausea, ingestion, abdominal pain or a heartburn.

3. Breathing problems - Another prominent symptom of heart attack is shortness of breath which is accompanied by cold sweat and fatigue.

Emergency Measure:

If you think you are getting a heart attack, you should immediately take one tablet of Aspirin (preferably chew aspirin if possible), 4 tablets of a drug called Clopidogrel, and one tablet of Atorvastatin 80 mg and rush to the nearest possible medical facility as time is very important in the treatment of an acute heart attack. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Cardiologist.

Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart disease. It is a disease associated with the heart muscle or myocardium. In this disease, the heart muscles get weak and fails to pump blood to the organs of the body. It has several categories. The categorization depends upon the range of factors. In this disease, irregular heartbeat is observed. These irregularities can lead to heart failure or attack or can trigger problems in the valves. It is important to take care of your heart to avoid such a condition. It is also advisable to see a doctor as soon as the symptoms are noticed to avoid greater damage.

Types of Cardiomyopathy
This disease can be divided into four categories. These are as follows:

1. Dilated Cardiomyopathy: It is the most common type. It occurs at a time when the heart muscle gets too weak to pump blood properly. The muscles of the heart get thinner and weak. In fact, this also leads to the expansion of the heart chambers. In common terms, it is also referred to as enlarged heart. In most cases, this is inherited or caused by some coronary artery disease.
2. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: This is genetically transferred to the patient. In this condition, the heart walls get thicker and this hinders the smooth flow of blood. It is one of the most common types of Cardiomyopathy.
3. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD): This is a very rare form. It can cause sudden death, especially in young athletes. In this disease, fat and fibrous tissues are responsible for replacing the muscles in the right ventricle. This leads to an abnormal rhythm.
4. Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: It occurs as the ventricles of the heart get stiff and are unable to relax. This prevents them from getting filled up with blood. Under this situation, you might have to go for a heart transplant.
5. Other Types: Some of the other types include Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (the one which occurs after pregnancy), Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy (happens due to excessive intake of alcohol) and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Treatment of Cardiomyopathy

The treatment of Cardiomyopathy depends upon the extent of damage caused. It might not require treatment if symptoms are not very troublesome or prominent. It may be dealt with certain lifestyle changes, adjustments and medications, in cases those needs to be addressed.

Tips to deal with Cardiomyopathy
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by getting an adequate amount of night sleep. Go to bed early and wake up early too.
2. Don’t spend long hours in watching television or work till late night
3. Eat a lot of fresh and green-leafy vegetables daily.
4. Avoid the intake of spicy, oily and fast foods.
5. Consume home-cooked food only. Avoid eating out at restaurants or street-side joints.
6. Don’t drink excess coffee, tea or aerated drinks.
7. Don’t consume alcohol or smoke up cigarettes.
8. Don’t live a sedentary life and be a couch potato. Workout and exercise on regular basis.
9. Avoid emotional outburst and try to keep a control over your reactions. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Cardiologist.

Why should people with diabetes be extra careful of their Heart Health? What’s the connection? Diabetes is considered as one of the major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. 

A Study conducted shows that around 65% of diabetic patients die from heart disease or stroke. The connection between diabetes and heart disease starts with high blood sugar levels. With continued high blood sugar levels i.e. high glucose in the bloodstream, the arteries gets damaged and become hard and stiff. Fatty material that builds up on the inside of these blood vessels can eventually block blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to a possible heart attack or stroke.

People with the below listed condition and lifestyle are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD)

1. High blood pressure(hypertension)
2. Abnormal cholesterol
3. Obesity
4. Lack of physical activity
5. Poorly controlled blood sugars(too high) or out of normal range
6. Regular Smoking

What is a Diabetes?
It's is a disorder in which your body doesn’t produce insulin in the required quantity because of too much sugar in the blood or high blood glucose. 

Symptoms
Frequent urination, Intense thirst and hunger, Weight gain, unusual weight loss, fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal, male sexual dysfunction, vaginal Infection in females, numbness, tingling in hands and feet. 

Connection with Heart related diseases i.e. What can diabetes do to the person's healthy heart?

1. A diabetic who has had a previous heart attack has a much greater risk of having another.
2. Diabetics develop cardiovascular disease at a much earlier age than others.
3. Diabetics who have suffered a heart attack are more apt to die as a result. 

Prevention: More of a lifestyle change followed by medication under supervision of a doctor and a nutritionist is possible. The best way to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease is to prevent diabetes itself. General nutrition recommendations:

1. Control your portion size
2. Limit your consumption of saturated and transfats and cholesterol
3. Setting reasonable goals for your total amount of carbohydrates.

There is no certain way to avoid heart disease and circulation problems, but there are lot of things to do to cut your risk.

1. You smoke? Put a full stop.
2. Do weight management and lose some extra pounds.
3. Check your sugar levels regularly and keep your blood pressure in the proper range.
4. Get regular physical activity
5. Keep your blood fats and cholesterol levels in a healthy range.
6. Keep your blood glucose under control live a healthy life with a healthy heart. Stay Healthy!