Aster Hospitals and Clinics: Offering the best cardiac care in the UAE

Cardiovascular diseases affect millions of people across the world irrespective of their age. It involves a range of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and includes coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions.

Cardiovascular diseases mainly affected the elderly because of long-term lifestyle disorders. However, in the recent past, the prevalence of heart ailments is increasing among the younger population. It is shocking and alarming that many under 30 years are experiencing acute myocardial infarction or heart attack. The number of youngsters getting a heart attack is rising with each passing year.

Causes of heart attack

There are many reasons for the rise of cardiovascular diseases in youngsters. Dr Naveed Ahmed, Consultant Interventional Cardiology at Aster Hospital, Mankhool, says smoking, poor eating habits, obesity, stress and lack of physical activity are some of the reasons why heart ailments are increasing among the younger population. “Excessive smoking, drinking, and other factors put pressure on the cardiovascular system and affect the arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the body. The blockage of these arteries interrupts the blood flow or stops it completely, resulting in heart attack.”

Lifestyle diseases

Hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol are silent killers, says Dr Krishna Sarin, Specialist Interventional Cardiology at Aster Hospital, Qusais. “Youngsters face a lot of stress nowadays that causes hypertension. Unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity cause cholesterol and diabetes at a younger age. The propensity of people with lifestyle diseases to have cardiovascular diseases or even heart attack is more.”

Dr Abdul Rauoof Malik, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Hospital, Qusais, says it is critical people monitor regularly for lifestyle diseases and manage it properly. “Any lifestyle conditions, in the long run, would put a strain on the cardiovascular system and might result in heart ailments. The best way to have a quality life is by keeping ourselves healthy and safe from lifestyle disorders.”

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis is the hardening or narrowing of arteries caused by cholesterol plaques over a long time. Many believe that atherosclerosis affects the older population. According to Dr Mohit Kejariwal, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Clinic, Silicon Oasis and Al Khail Mall, atherosclerosis is a serious risk and can affect anybody from their young age. “It is the build-up of fats in your arteries,” he explains.

“Over time, it blocks the blood supply and triggers a heart attack or other cardiovascular conditions. In most cases, it does not manifest any symptoms until an artery is so narrowed or clogged that it cannot supply enough blood to organs and tissues – triggering a heart attack or stroke.”

Elaborating on the common symptoms of atherosclerosis, Dr Hari Babu Venkatesh, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Clinic, Al Warqa, says atherosclerosis in heart arteries presents with symptoms such as chest pain or pressure (angina). “Atherosclerosis can affect other arteries as well including the brain, arms and legs,” he adds. “In such cases, one might experience symptoms such as sudden numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, difficulty in speaking or slurred speech, vision problems or drooping of muscles in your face, pain in your legs and arms, and so on.”

Family history

Family history is a critical element in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Dr Srinivasan Ravindranath, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Clinic, Al Muteena, says people with a family history of cardiovascular diseases have an increased risk of developing it in their lifetime. “People with family history must undergo regular check-ups as per the advice of their doctors. This would help in diagnosing any heart-related ailments and treating them. They must also be cautious of the other risk factors and try to have a healthy lifestyle with proper eating habits and regular exercise. This would help to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Making sure to have good quality time for yourself with family and friends is also important.”

Cardiac care at Aster

Aster Hospitals and Clinics in the UAE offer the best and most efficient cardiac care to its patients. The team of experts at Aster facilities is known for delivering desirable outcomes and treating patients with compassion and kindness. Dr Sachin Upadhyay, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Hospital, Mankhool, says personalised care, tailor-made treatment plans, and patient-centric approach make Aster an ideal destination for cardiac care in the UAE. “Empowered with advanced technology, state-of-the-art facilities, and extensively experienced team, Aster has given a new lease of life to thousands of patients in the UAE.” Some of the specialised services offered at Aster hospitals are 24-hour Holter monitoring; pharmacological arrhythmia therapy, invasive therapies such as coronary angiogram, PTCA, IVUS, orbital atherectomy, FFR, TAVI, TEVAR, pacemaker, PTMC, cerebral angiogram, 2D echocardiogram, and a hybrid cardiac catheterization lab.

For more information on Aster’s preventive heart health check-up packages, call 044 400 500 or visit www.asterclinic.ae/preventive-health-packages

Aster opens Heart Rhythm Clinic in Discovery Gardens

Heart rhythm disorders can be dangerous if not treated as it can cause various complications such as heart failure, stroke, loss of consciousness, or even sudden cardiac death

Heart rhythm disorder or arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart. Sometimes, it is normal for people to have a faster or slower heartbeat. In other cases, it could be a sign and symptom of cardiac issues.

Aster Clinics has recently opened a heart rhythm clinic at its facility in Discovery Gardens. The state-of-the-art facility has experts and advanced technology to diagnose, treat, and ensure seamless care for people with cardiac disorders.

Dr Arun Asok Cheriyan, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Clinic, Discovery Gardens, speaks about heart rhythm disorders, treatment and the complications it can cause.

What are the common heart rhythm disorders?

There are two kinds of heart rhythm disorders — tachyarrhythmia when the rhythm is fast and bradyarrhythmia when the rhythm is slow. Loss of consciousness or syncope is another common abnormality. The commonly seen tachyarrhythmia is sinus tachycardia, where the heartbeat originating from the SA node (a specialised area in the right upper chamber of our heart) beats faster. Another form of tachyarrhythmia is ectopics or extra beats.

Similarly, the commonly seen bradyarrhythmia is sinus bradycardia, where the heartbeat slows down. It is common for those undergoing fitness training or sports. But in other cases, it occurs when the SA node is diseased — a condition called sick sinus syndrome.

Other forms of bradyarrhythmia are blocks — sino-atrial (SA) blocks, atrioventricular (AV) blocks, or bundle branch blocks. Doctors advise for pacemakers if these blocks are advanced in nature.

What are the symptoms of heart rhythm disorders?

Bradyarrhythmia usually presents with dizziness, tiredness, or even loss of consciousness (syncope), while tachyarrhythmia usually presents with palpitations or skipped beats.

When heart rhythms go out of control, it can cause damage to the cardiac muscle ending up in heart failure.

What are the complications of these disorders?

Heart rhythm disorders due to issues with the electrical system inside the heart cause cardiac arrest. When the arrhythmias are totally out of control, we might end up with syncope — loss of consciousness.

What services do the heart rhythm clinic at Aster Clinic offer?

The heart rhythm clinic at Aster has facilities to treat conditions like palpitations, skipped beats, and syncope. We can perform procedures such as Holter recording, Echo, Bubble study, treadmill test, and pacemaker programming.

We also possess the capacity to perform the tilt table test to evaluate unexplained syncope or repeated syncope, or a syncope without warning.

To consult an expert, call 044 400 500