Recovered COVID-19 patients show stark increase in 20 cardiovascular problems

New Delhi: 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 has left everyone in shock. Although COVID infection 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.

One of such non-invasive digitally 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.

“We have meticulously designed hPod that provides quick and convenient health screening. 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 healthcare ecosystem, which is 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 to manage diseases through lifestyle modification,” 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.

“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. 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.

“As the accessibility of preventive and predictive screening in India is scarce, we have come up with the idea to provide primary, preventive and predictive care to everyone in India. For that, IHLs Digital Health Centre – a PHYGITAL (Physical+Digital) module helps in providing the world’s fastest and the most comprehensive evaluation of obesity, hypertension and other metabolic vitals within 5 minutes. Also, it’s the first-of-its-kind integrated heart health programme that works in tandem with corporate wellness to provide individualised health solutions. It also helps individuals create an IHL Care health account wherein they get expert advice regularly on important lifestyle and nutrition modifications to stay healthy,” adds 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.