With approximately 120 million smokers in India, raising awareness about its link to heart failure is the need of the hour.
With approximately 120 million smokers in India, raising awareness about its link to heart failure is the need of the hour. Smoking leads to other comorbidities and fat deposition in blood vessels, often resulting in heart failure. This life-threatening nature of heart failure makes it vital to start treatment early, follow medicine schedules and consult a cardiologist regularly to check the progress. Holistic management of heart failure with smoking cessation along with simple lifestyle modifications such as weight control, low salt and healthy diet, regular eating habits and exercise can help people live a longer and healthier life.
Dr R Ravi Kumar, senior cardiologist, heart failure and heart transplant, MGM Hospital said, “Smoking damages the lining of the arteries (endothelium) causing a build-up of fatty compounds which narrows down and causes obstructive pressure on the blood flowing through them. This leads to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, thus exacerbating heart muscle damage. Smoking also increases blood pressure, adding to the strain on the pumping heart. Over time, this strain and damage to your heart muscle can lead to heart failure. In my clinical observation, six out of every 10 patients are not aware that smoking can increase your risk of cardiovascular conditions like heart failure.”
While much focus is on smoking and cancer risk, the increased risk of heart failure is sidelined. Hence educating smokers and their families about the undesirable effects of smoking and its impact on heart failure have become a priority today. Effective heart failure management with timely treatment is a way to reduce mortality, save future hospitalisation costs, and healthy life of a patient. Damage to the lungs due to rampant tobacco smoking, both from first-hand use and passive second-hand smoking, is one of the biggest causes of many end-stage lung diseases.
“Treatment modalities for end-stage lung diseases include pulmonary rehabilitation, nebulised medication, oxygen therapy, pulmonary vasodilators, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and vaccinations to prevent exacerbations. Five to 10 per cent of end-stage lung disease patients may need lung transplantation. Lung transplantation is a viable option for end-stage lung disease if the medical treatment fails to sustain life. A majority of the patients after lung transplantation can lead a quality life for eight to 10 years period or more depending on age,” said Dr KR Balakrishnan, Director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at MGM Healthcare.
