Heart failure is a growing concern for cardiologists in India as the disease burden of heart failure is around 10 million and the mean age of patients in India, at the time of death is 59 years, approximately 10 years younger than the people affected with the disease in other countries.

Dr Debasis Mitra, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in a press conference on October 2 said while the prevalence of heart failure was increasing, there was little awareness about it. He said the main symptoms of heart failure included shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat, swelling of ankles, legs or abdomen, inability to sleep without elevated pillows, constant fatigue and loss of appetite.

According to a recent study published on Lancet, India bears 23 per cent of the global disease burden for ischemic heart disease, which happens to be the most common underlying cause of the heart failure, he said. In West Bengal, the risk of heart disease is 18 per cent amongst the population of the state, with the male population at higher risk due to smoking and high blood pressure, a June 2018 study, published in PLOS Medicine, a medical journal.

The senior cardiologist said heart failure was a chronic disease where the heart muscle responsible for pumping action weakens over time, while the heart attack is a sudden cardiac event, caused due to blockage in the arteries.
According to a study,46 per cent heart failure patients die within one year of diagnosis due to cardiac reasons. India has the highest mortality rate at 23 per cent, after one year of diagnosis.

He, however, clarified that heart failure did not mean "the heart is quitting". "It means that the weakened heart muscle is not pumping blood efficiently enough to meet the oxygen and nutritional demands of an individual's body," he explained. Dr Mitra, who is also Post Graduate teacher of DNB Cardiology Course, a heart check-up comprising an X-Ray, blood test, ECG and echocardiography could help find the early signs or triggers of the heart disease.
He said timely treatment increased the lifespan of the patient.

The treatment involves Beta Blockers, Diuretics, and the more recent ARNI therapy. Dr Mitra said ARNI therapy has shown positive results on patients and has helped patients live, longer than was possible before. Dr Mitra said while in several cases, especially in young patients, the reason behind heart failure couldn't be explained, balanced diet with at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, exercise, and leading a stress-free life could help. He also cautioned against the use of contraceptive pills, which could trigger heart failure among women.