Health

Protecting from Risk of Heart Failure, Cardiac Arrest and Stroke Calls for Preventive Screening whether Covid or Non-Covid

People recovered from COVID-19 showed stark increases in 20 cardiovascular problems over the year after infection

New Delhi (India), March 14: Lately, the rate of death due to heart failure and cardiac arrest has increased significantly. Last week, the death of renowned cricketer (Spin-King) Shane Warne had left everyone in shock. Although Covid infected has a bit higher rate of heart failure, preventive screening, whether it is Covid or Non-Covid, is essential to keep the risk of an epidemic of heart diseases at bay!

Not only heart failure, cardiac arrest or stroke, but almost all cardiovascular diseases can also be prevented if detected early. And for this, there are now very accurate digitally integrated preventive and predictive cardiovascular screening Kiosks available that can detect the onset of disease early, thereby paving the way for its prevention.

“Considering the great felt need of digitally integrated preventive and predictive PHYGITAL (Physical+Digital) ecosystem for 1.3 billion Indian population to have their primary heart screening done as majority of them hesitate to go to the diagnostic centres, we have come up with a self-service health kiosk. This one is based on the one developed in the US, which has already completed over 235 million scans. It was customized for Indian needs over 6 years, underwent a year-long comprehensive clinical trial at a tertiary care hospital system, and includes technologies from premium research organizations like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). It has achieved ITA2008/HIPAA certifications for data privacy, the medical components carry US FDA and CE approvals and are enrolled for QAI certification in India,” asserts Dr Satyender Goel, Founder & CEO, India Health Link (IHL).

One of the recent studies reveals that people who recovered from Covid-19 showed stark increases in 20 cardiovascular problems over the year after infection. Those having Covid-19 had a 72% increased risk of heart failure, 63% increased risk of heart attack, and 52% increased risk of stroke compared with controls. [1]

“To diagnose and treat the heart-related issues, especially after Covid with or without comorbidities. Cardiac screening is necessary. Every 4 months for proper evaluation of Heart and vascular health and rule out any abnormal changes. The clinical spectrum includes palpitation, breathlessness, chest discomfort, dizziness, early fatigability etc. ECG, Echo, pulse and BP Monitoring are necessary for early detection and timely treatment. Overweight or obese people with hypertension and diabetes are more likely to get heart diseases, heart failure, and stroke,” says Dr HK Chopra, Sr. Consultant Cardiologist, Medanta Moolchand Heart Institute & President, World Wellness Foundation, WHA, formerly National President, CSI & IAE.

One of such non-invasive integrated PHYGITAL (Physical+Digital) ecosystems connecting Primary, Preventive & Predictive Healthcare is available in India. And that is an award-winning self-service, walk-in hPOD (Fitness Station/Health Kiosk/Health ATM) developed by India Health Link (IHL). This is the Kiosk where individuals can perform more than (20+) non-invasive medical tests, including BP and ECG.

“As the accessibility of preventive and predictive screening in India is scarce, we have come up with a meticulously designed hPod that provides quick and convenient health screening within 5 minutes. It is capable of screening (20+) essential vital parameters, including key parameters like Blood Pressure, Temperature, Body Mass Composition, Pulse, SPO2, and ECG, without any paramedic assistance. It is an easy to use and affordable solution to detect and act to keep non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in check. It creates a very efficient PHYGITAL (Physical+Digital) healthcare ecosystem quite helpful for the public health management system. hPod empowers every individual to take control of their health, detect health problems before onset, and avail timely advice from experts to curb the surge of heart diseases. It also helps fill the massive gap in piece-meal Corporate Wellness offering,” says Dr Goel.

It is very important to know that heart diseases are largely preventable if cardiac screening is done regularly. And it has now become easy with the availability of integrated digital health centres. It will help us identify risk factors and manage them accordingly to prevent the upsurge of the disease. India needs a digital screening revolution to cover its vast populace even in remote areas to ensure heart-healthy living.

References:

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00403-0