About a quarter patients die within one hour of a heart attack, which can be prevented by the immediate administering of some simple medication and injections such as streptokinase or urokinase, according to some prominent physicians of the country. At a recently held seminar, they suggested that patients be rushed to the nearest hospital with amenities including angiogram, angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery.
Several studies show that people in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, have a higher risk of heart disease at an early age than any other ethnic group in the world. What are we doing wrong? It could be our food habits, according to a study jointly conducted by ICDDRB, Bangladesh National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Cambridge University. The study finds the presence of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, copper and mercury in human blood that doubles the risk of heart attack. How did these chemicals find their way in our blood? Adulterated food and arsenic in water could, reportedly, be the cause.
It is common knowledge that diabetes, increased blood pressure and smoking are factors that heighten the risk of heart attacks. People should be made aware of the fact that some form of physical exercise is crucial to reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. While adulteration in food is a complex problem with no seemingly easy solution, quitting smoking and doing exercise are simple lifestyle changes that can do a lot of good. And hospitals and clinics must be equipped with emergency cardiac drugs and other facilities to immediately treat patients experiencing a heart attack which could very well save their lives.
Source: The daily star
