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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Cold wave triggers spike in cardiac arrests

Mumbai : As winter temperatures go for a spin across the country, hospitals are witnessing a significant surge of around 25-30 pc in cardiac emergencies, a top cardiologist said.   According to Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Hemant Khemani of Apex Group of Hospitals, cold air directly affects how the heart functions.   “Low temperatures make blood vessels tighten. When the arteries narrow, blood pressure shoots up and the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the stiffened...

Cold wave triggers spike in cardiac arrests

Mumbai : As winter temperatures go for a spin across the country, hospitals are witnessing a significant surge of around 25-30 pc in cardiac emergencies, a top cardiologist said.   According to Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Hemant Khemani of Apex Group of Hospitals, cold air directly affects how the heart functions.   “Low temperatures make blood vessels tighten. When the arteries narrow, blood pressure shoots up and the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the stiffened vessels,” said Dr. Khemani.   Elaborating on the direct effects of cold air on heart functioning, he said that low temperatures make blood vessels tighten, when arteries narrow, blood pressure shoots up and the heart must work harder to push blood through stiffened vessels.   Winter also thickens the blood, increasing the likelihood of clot formation and these combined effects create a dangerous ‘demand-supply mismatch’ for oxygen, especially in people with existing heart conditions.   This trend has caused concern among cardiologists as it adds to India’s already heavy cardiovascular diseases burden – with nearly one in four deaths linked to heart and blood vessel problems.   Dr. Khemani said that sudden temperature transitions - from warm rooms to chilly outdoors - can put additional strain on the heart and risks. “This abrupt shift loads the cardiovascular system quickly, raising the risk of a sudden (cardiac) event among vulnerable individuals.”   Lifestyle Patterns Added to these are the changes in lifestyle patterns during winter month that further amplify the danger. Most people reduce physical activities, eat richer foods, and often gain weight all of which combine to raise cholesterol levels, disrupt blood-sugar balance and push up blood pressure.   Complicating matters for the heart are the social gatherings during the cold season that tends to bring higher intake of smoking and alcohol, said Dr. Khemani.   Recommending basic preventive measures, Dr. Khemani said the chest, neck and hands must be kept warm to prevent heat loss, maintain a steady body temperature and reduce the chances of sudden blood pressure spikes, a low-salt diet, home-cooked meals, shot indoor walks post-eating, adequate hydration and at least seven hours of sleep.   He warns against ignoring warning signals such as chest discomfort, breathlessness, unexplained fatigue, or sudden sweating, pointing out that “early medical care can significantly limit heart damage and improve survival.”   The rise in winter heart risks is not unique to India and even global health agencies like World Health Federation and World Health Organisation report similar patterns.   The WHF estimates that more than 20 million people die of heart-related causes each year - equal to one life lost every 1.5 seconds, and the WHO has listed heart disease as the world’s leading cause of death for five consecutive years.   Seniors affected more by winter chills  Cold weather can hit the heart at any age, but the risk is noticeably higher for men aged above  45 and in women after 55, with the highest danger curve in people over 60, and elders with co-morbidities and history of heart diseases.   “People with existing cardiac problems face greater trouble in winter as the heart has to work harder. Even those without known heart disease can sometimes experience winter heart attacks, as chilly conditions may expose hidden blockages or trigger problems due to sudden exertion, heavy meals, smoking or dehydration,” Dr. Khemani told  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ .   However, contrary to perceptions, cold-weather heart issues have no connection to the COVID-19 vaccine, nor is there any scientific evidence linking the two, he assured.

Papa’s Pari in Fray

Papa’s Pari in Fray

Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Shreejaya is all set to contest the upcoming Assembly election from Bhokar constituency of Nanded district on a BJP ticket. Now it needs to be seen whether she takes ahead the legacy of her grandfather.


Born in 1992, Shreejaya is a lawyer by profession. She has been helping her father in managing his political office for quite some time now. She came to limelight when she walked a substantially good distance with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra.


She was behind the show of strength that her father displayed during the Yatra a couple of years back before joining the BJP. It was a social media post by her father that is considered to have brought her forth as his probable political successor back then. With announcement of her candidature today the speculations have gained momentum.


Born and brought up in the family of Union ministers and Chief Ministers, Shreejaya never had a groups of friends like other kids of her age would have. She misses the thing even today. However, she learnt to fill the gap by making friends with technology and animals at a very young age. Though she is a lawyer by education she has a good sense of technology and several ideas about how it can be engaged for the betterment of the people and to communicate with the people.


It was this friendship of her with the technology that led her to launch ‘Ashok Chavan Seva Setu’, a telephone-based platform to resolve issues concerning people for which they often run to the politician. She conceived the idea and launched the service while her father was the guardian minister of the Nanded district. Her tech-savvy-ness was also instrumental in starting the Namaste Nanded digital platform which has over 1,25,000 followers on Instagram from her home district.


Though her schooling and college education happened primarily in Mumbai, she never lost her touch with Nanded. In fact, she has systematically nurtured the connect over past few years by taking interest in management of the Kusum Mahotsav and the Sangeet Shankar Darbar – the two festivals started by her family in memory her of her grandparents. While the musical program in memory of late Shankarrao Chavan attracts the ace talent in the field of music every year, the festival in memory of Shreejaya’s grandmother Kusumtai is dedicated to women’s empowerment and attracts a host of women’s self-help groups from the region.


Shreejaya has seen sharp twists and turns of the politics at a very early stage in her life and it is said that it was she who encouraged her father to stand up again and fight after his defeat in 2019 election.

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