Dr Sanjay Tarlekar

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Heart attack refers to the death of heart muscle tissue, which is caused by a sudden blockage of the arteries. It is usually the formation of clots in the buildup of cholesterol called plaque. The most common side effects are chest, arm and neck pain. Current technology allows blocked arteries to be reopened to maintain heart muscle and heart function. It is therefore essential that you visit a doctor immediately after the onset of chest pain and related symptoms.
  • Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arms, or under the chest
  • Feeling of discomfort that radiates to the back, neck, jaw, or arms
  • A feeling of poor digestion or suffocation (may feel acidic)
  • Sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness
  • Extreme weakness, anxiety or shortness of breath
  • Irregular heartbeat

During a heart attack, symptoms usually last 30 minutes or more and do not decrease with rest or
taking medication. The first symptoms can appear as mild symptoms that cause considerable pain.
Some people experience asymptomatic heart attacks called “silent” myocardial infarction (MI). It is
more common in people with diabetes. If you feel you have a heart attack, do not wait immediately
go to the hospital. Treating your heart attack right away is very important to reduce damage to your
heart.

The test that you need, to diagnose your heart condition, depends on your doctor’s opinion.
Whatever type of heart disease you have, your doctor will most likely do a physical exam and ask
about your personal and family health history before conducting the test. In addition to blood tests
and chest X-rays, tests to diagnose heart disease can include:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Holter monitoring
  • Echocardiography
  • Stress test
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

here are several risk factors that you cannot do anything about (non-modifiable). This includes:

  • Being male
  • Being a woman who is past menopause
  • Being older
  • Having a family history of heart diseases.
  • Smoking
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Lack of exercise
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Stress
  • By improving your habits, you can reduce your risk of heart attack or angina.

About 30% of cardiac deaths in India are directly related
to smoking. Smoking is a leading cause of atherosclerosis. Among other things, nicotine in smoke can lead to:

  • Less oxygen supply to the heart
  • Higher blood pressure and heart rate
  • More blood clotting
  • Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease. If your arteries are blocked,
you can slow the damage by eating healthier, exercising, stopping smoking and reducing stress.
With lifestyle changes, you can stop or even reverse the narrowing of your arteries. Although this is
important for people with risk factors for this disease, it is more important whether you have had a
heart attack or a procedure to restore blood flow to the heart or other areas of the body. Meet
regularly doctor and have regular heart examination.

Eating right is an effective way to reduce or even eliminate some risk factors for heart disease. A
healthy diet can help you reduce total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol), lower blood pressure,
lower blood sugar, and help you lose weight.

Try these tips:

  • Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts.
  • Cut fat from your diet. Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats.
  • Eat lean sources of protein such as fish, chicken, and soy. Avoid red meat because it is
    usually high in fat and cholesterol.
  • Eat complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread, rice and pasta and limit simple
    carbohydrates like baking soda, sugar, and cookies.
  • Cut salt
  • Exercise regularly

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in women over 40, especially after menopause. As soon
as a woman reaches the age of 50 (around the age of natural menopause), the risk of heart disease
increases dramatically. Young women who have experienced early menopause or surgery are also
at a higher risk for heart disease, especially if combined with other risk factors such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Smoke
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol, exceptionally high LDL or “bad” cholesterol
  • Overweight
  • Lack of exercise
  • Family history of heart disease
  • Pregnancy problems such as pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure, pregnancy diabetes or blood sugar
  • Rheumatological and inflammatory diseases
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood that settles in the arteries and causes progressive obstruction from many different organs, especially the heart. Cholesterol has two components, HDL (right) and LDL (bad). The total number and ratio of these components determine their disposition for the development of plaque in the heart arteries. Triglycerides are another type of fat found in our body, and it increases after a fat-filled meal. It can cause the formation of the lipid molecules which are dangerous for our blood vessels. Lipid profile allows us to take a closer look at all of these components. To understand your fat profile, meet the cardiologist at Premier Hospital
strokes are caused by blocked blood flow to the brain (ischemic stroke) or sudden bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Many things raise your risk of stroke. Some of these risk factors can be changed to help prevent a stroke or future strokes.
Heart attack and stroke are caused by interruptions to the normal flow of blood to the heart or brain—2 organs that are essential to life. Without access to oxygen-rich blood and nutrients, heart or brain cells begin to malfunction and die. This cell death can set off a series of harmful effects throughout the body.
  1. Don’t smoke or use tobacco. …
  2. Get moving: Aim for at least 30 to 60 minutes of activity daily.
  3. Eat a heart-healthy diet. …
  4. Watch your weight & Maintain a healthy weight
  5. Get quality sleep. 
  6. Manage stress.
  7. Get regular health screening tests.
  8. Take steps to prevent infections.
  9. Live well today for a healthier tomorrow
  10. Be a team player.
  11. Take your medicine.
  12. Be physically active.