consultation with a doctor.”
This was the advice given by Dr. Yash Paul Sharma, Head-Cardiology,PGIMER, Chandigarh to members of Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik at a special session yesterday night at Hotel Hometel, Chandigarh. Over 50 members of Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik, led by Rtn. Ashok Laroia, President, attended the session.
Talking about the latest trends, Dr. Sharma said that there is now a shift towards ‘precision medicine’. He stated, “It is always better to completely understand the individual patterns of disease and using the data of a particular patient to prescribe a line of treatment for him or her. This has the potential of leading to better individual treatment of a person disease.”
Striking a positive note, Dr. Sharma said, “While there have been various predictions on how a major part of the population of the developing nations would be stricken by disease including diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases etc. in the near future, this may actually not happen thanks to the increased awareness of these diseases and the precautionary methods being employed by people. This is a good sign and augurs well for all of us,” he added.
Detailing the precautionary steps one should take to avoid heart diseases, Dr. Sharma said, “Regular exercise which could including walking for 30-45 minutes at least 5 days a week, a balanced diet, keeping your weight under check, avoiding smoking and lifestyle changes can help keep your heart healthy. However, do consult your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.”
Talking about the immediate steps one should take in case a person has a heart attack, Dr. Sharma said, “You must try to get the person as quickly as possible to a clinic or a hospital. However, in the meantime, it is advisable to give the patient an aspirin (Disprin) immediately which the patient should chew and swallow. At the same time, a sorbitrate /angecid tablet should be kept under the tongue of the patient and this should be spit out by him after the pain in the chest has subsided. These simple two steps will help the patient considerably till the time he gets to a doctor.”