Heart Diseases

Buying a cardiac plan? Check waiting periods and co-payment requirements

Customers should also watch out for sub-limits on room rent and specific treatments

Buying cardiac insurance, planning wedding: Top personal finance stories

This week we report about the fine print in specialised insurance for heart conditions and how to organise a lavish wedding

Meeting sodium recommendations could avert deaths from heart disease: Study

Complying with the WHO-recommended levels of sodium intake could avert three lakh deaths due to heart and chronic kidney disease in 10 years, a modelling study by the World Health Organization has estimated. High levels of sodium -- an ingredient of salt -- are one of the main dietary risks of death and disability. Packaged foods are a major source of sodium intake in high-income countries, and increasingly becoming so in low- and middle-income countries. However, researchers, including those from The George Institute for Global Health, Hyderabad, said that India has no national strategy for sodium reduction despite people consuming double the recommended intake and increasing amounts of packaged foods. The WHO recommends under two grams of sodium a day, which is roughly the same as less than a teaspoon or five grams of salt a day. Published in The Lancet Public Health journal, the results suggested substantial health gains and cost savings within the first ten years of compliance,

World Thrombosis Day 2024: History, importance, and tips to reduce the risk

A dangerous disorder called thrombosis occurs when blood clots form in blood vessels. It is critical to understand the risk factors in order to safeguard your cardiovascular health

RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav undergoes angioplasty in Mumbai hospital

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav underwent angioplasty at a hospital here, sources said on Thursday. Yadav, who was admitted in Asian Heart Institute here on September 10, underwent angioplasty on Wednesday, they said. The 76-year-old former Bihar chief minister is expected to be discharged in a day or two, the sources added. In 2014, the former Union minister, 66 at the time, had underwent a six hour long aortic valve replacement surgery at Asian Heart Institute. He had visited the hospital for follow-ups in 2018 and 2023. "He was admitted again on September 10, 2024 at Asian Heart Institute for angioplasty by Dr (Santosh) Dora and Dr Tilak (Suvarna)," sources added.

Pfizer raises annual profit forecast on strong sales of cancer, heart drugs

The market for pharmaceutical products used in managing Covid-19 has shrunk by billions of dollars a year, including for Pfizer's vaccines and treatments

'Cancer patients exposed to air pollution at higher risk of heart disease'

Air pollution could increase the risk of heart diseases and death in cancer patients, adding to health inequities experienced by the group, according to a new research. The research reviewed eight papers published between 2000 and 2023 that studied the direct impacts of air pollution on cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke, and cancer. More than 1.1 crore participants were included in the review. The researchers found that exposure to fine particulate (PM2.5) pollution weakened the body's detoxification and its defences against inflammation, which are risk factors common to both cancer and cardiovascular disease. "Air pollution plays an undeniable role in the field of cardio-oncology," the authors, including those from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, wrote. Even short-term exposure to unhealthy levels of air pollution can quickly affect the heart health of cancer patients, according to the researchers. The findings are published in the Journ

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day 2024: Importance, types and treatment

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day is devoted to raising awareness about the most recognized type of birth defect influencing babies globally. The day aims to raise issues of the CHDs patients

Renowned classical singer Prabha Atre, doyen of Kirana Gharana, dies at 92

Renowned classical singer Dr Prabha Atre passed away following a cardiac arrest at her residence here at the age of 92 early on Saturday, sources close to her said. Atre, who represented the Kirana Gharana of the Hindustani classical music, had been honoured with all three of Padma awards by the Indian government. "Atre suffered a cardiac arrest during her sleep at her residence. She was rushed to a private hospital in Kothrud area of the city, where she was declared dead at 5.30 am," a source said. Since some of the close family members of Atre live abroad, her funeral will be performed once they arrive, the source added. Born on September 13, 1932, Atre was known as a multi-faceted personality. Besides being a classical vocalist, she also excelled as an academician, researcher, composer and author. A science and law graduate, she had a doctorate in music. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the nation's second-highest civilian honour, in January 2022. She was earlier honoured

World Heart Day 2023: Date, theme, importance, celebration, facts

World Heart Day is marked every year on September 29 to bring issues to light about heart illness and preventive measures that can assist with preventing cardiovascular diseases

Don't miss a beat: Heart ailments in young women on the rise, shows data

Digital healthcare platform Practo saw a 215 per cent increase in total consultations related to cardiovascular health

Lead exposure likely caused 5.5 mn deaths from cardiac disease in 2019

Exposure to lead may have caused 5.5 million adult deaths from cardiovascular disease and the loss of 765 million IQ points in children under the age of five worldwide in 2019, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Up to 95 per cent of the effects were in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), with children there losing an average of 5.9 IQ, or intelligence quotient, points during their first five years of life, the researchers said. The findings indicate the global health effects of lead exposure could be similar to the estimated health effects of small particle pollution, PM2.5, and household air pollution combined, and three times greater than the health effects of unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and handwashing, they said. IQ loss in LMICs due to lead exposure is nearly 80 per cent higher than a previous estimate, while deaths from cardiovascular disease are six times higher, the researchers said. The global cost of lead exposure in 2019 wa

Amyloidosis disease: Understanding the diagnosis, symptoms and treatments

Amyloidosis is a rare disease whose cause is still not found. In May this year, India got its first amyloidosis centre at Amrita Hospital in Kerala

Talking over mobile for over 30 minutes linked to developing hypertension

Researchers have found talking on a mobile phone for 30 minutes or longer per week to be linked with a 12 per cent increased risk of developing high blood pressure or hypertension. Almost three-quarters of the global population aged 10 and over own a mobile phone. Mobile phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy, which has been linked with rises in blood pressure after short-term exposure, the study said. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke and a leading cause of premature death globally. "It's the number of minutes people spend talking on a mobile that matter for heart health, with more minutes meaning greater risk," said study author Xianhui Qin of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. "Years of use or employing a hands-free set-up had no influence on the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. More studies are needed to confirm the findings," said Qin. The study is published in the European Heart Journal - Digital Health. Using

Air pollution exposure linked to higher risk of irregular heartbeat: Study

Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with an increased risk of arrythmia or irregular heartbeat, according to a large study of 322 Chinese cities. The common arrhythmia conditions atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which can progress to more serious heart disease, affect an estimated 59.7 million people globally, the researchers said. Air pollution is a modifiable risk factor for heart disease, but the evidence linking it with arrythmia has been inconsistent, they said. The researchers evaluated hourly exposure to air pollution and the sudden onset of symptoms of arrythmia using data from 2025 hospitals in 322 Chinese cities. "We found that acute exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk of symptomatic arrhythmia," said Renjie Chen, from Fudan University, Shanghai, China. "The risks occurred during the first several hours after exposure and could persist for 24 hours. The exposureresponse relationships between six pollutants and four ..

Covid affected access to essential meds for cancer, heart diseases: WHO

The report reviewed the impact of the pandemic on NCD medicines from manufacturing, procurement, and importation to delivery, availability, and affordability

Govt has no central data on heart attack, cancer, HIV: MoHFW to Rajya Sabha

Heart diseases contributed 28.1% of the total deaths in India, in 2016 compared to 15.2% in 1990

Exceeding WHO ozone limit linked to heart disease hospitalisations: Study

Exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) ozone limit is associated with substantial increases in hospital admissions for heart attack, heart failure and stroke, according to a new study. The first evidence making this association is published in the European Heart Journal. Even ozone levels below the WHO maximum were linked with worsened health, the study said. "During this three-year study, ozone was responsible for an increasing proportion of admissions for cardiovascular disease as time progressed," said study author professor Shaowei Wu of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China. "It is believed that climate change, by creating atmospheric conditions favouring ozone formation, will continue to raise concentrations in many parts of the world. "Our results indicate that older people are particularly vulnerable to the adverse cardiovascular effects of ozone, meaning that worsening ozone pollution with climate change and the rapid ageing of the global population may produce even gre

Study suggests scientists may use AI to detect heart disease in individuals

According to a new study, scientists might be able to predict cardiovascular disease in individuals by looking at the genes in their DNA using artificial intelligence (AI)

Poor sleep linked to increased risk of heart diseases, says study

Poor sleep is associated with up to seven years worth of increased heart disease risk and even premature death, according to a study. The research, published in the journal BMC Medicine, analysed data from more than 300,000 middle-aged adults from the UK Biobank. Researchers from the University of Sydney in collaboration with Southern Denmark University found that different disturbances to sleep are associated with different durations of compromised cardiovascular health later in life compared to healthy sleepers. In particular, men with clinical sleep-related breathing disorders lost nearly seven years of cardiovascular disease-free life compared to those without these conditions, and women lost over seven years, they said. The study found that even general poor sleep, such as insufficient sleep, insomnia, snoring, going to bed late, and daytime sleepiness is associated with a loss of around two years of normal heart health in men and women. "Our research shows that, over time, .