A two-day 'Heart Failure Summit - 2009' is being held here today and tomorrow.
Experts from the state and the world are discussing the increasing prevalence of heart failure and optimal management options from physiology to pharmacology to medical devices. The summit's special focus is on Cardiac Resynchronization. It is being held in collaboration with Medtronic.
Disclosing this at a press conference here today Dr Narasimhan, Care Hospital, Dr Harikrishna Tandri from John Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore and Dr Andre D Avilla from Mount Sinai Hospital New York said that the summit will bring together an exclusive group of over 200 leading physicians from Hyderabad, Vijaywada, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, who share the same passion of treating heart failures in India with the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy and implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy for rescuing the heart.
For the first time, the summit will be transmitted live from Hyderabad to Vijaywada, Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and Bhubaneswar. Dr Narsimhan explained that the summit will provide evidence-based recommendations from experts which will aid in optimising the management from path physiology to pharmacology to medical devices with a special focus on Cardiac Resynchronisation therapy and implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Dr Narsimhan said that Cardiac Resynchronisationtherapy offers a new hope for patients with moderate to severe heart failure. The therapy has been proven to benefit the patients by giving them symptomatic relief and restoring their ability to perform their daily activities. The therapy also helps in reducing hospitalisations and also extending life for heart failure patients.
The implant procedure is a simple operation done under local anesthesia and the patients are discharged within next few days. More than 2,000 patients have benefited so far receiving this therapy in India over the last four years, he added. Heart failures effect 22 million people and accounts for £64 billion in cost each year worldwide.
It is the leading cause of hospitalisation among people aged 65 years and older and admissions for its symptoms have increased by 155% over last 20 years. He said that heart failure is the only major cardiac disorder that is increasing in prevalence.
Dr Narsimhan pointed out that the common symptoms seen in heart failure patients are shortness of breath, swelling in the feet, inability to lie straight on bed, frequent urination, swollen or tender abdomen and loss of appetite can manage heart failure, but often despite optimal medical therapy patients witness worsening of symptoms and have to be frequently hospitalized. There are many drugs that can manage heart failure.
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