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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.

Pawar’s Muslim Diplomacy

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

The NCP (SP) is banking on its Muslim faces to consolidate the community’s votes

Pawar’s Muslim Diplomacy

Mumbai: Last month when Fahad Ahmad’s name was announced by the NCP (SP) as its candidate from Anushaktinagar, it brought a sprinkling of stardust to the elections; Ahmad is known to most as actor Swara Bhaskar’s husband. The outspoken neta of the Samajwadi Party was now suddenly in the NCP (SP). He was the party’s best bet to counter Sana Malik who is fielded by Ajit Pawar’s NCP.


Sharad Pawar’s choice of candidates shows that he is putting faith in the party’s young faces, including young Muslim faces that can appeal to the electorate from the community. Anish Gawande, national spokesperson of the NCP (SP) had earlier stated that the party had declared that it would give a chance to new faces. “These young faces are a reflection of our society and what people want—these candidates are young, dynamic and agile,” he says.


According to the 2011 census, Maharashtra has 1.30 crore Muslims who account for around 11 per cent of the population. The party, as a leader says, does not want to be anathema to any community or religion and hence, wants representation of most. “Muslim will not pick BJP or its allies as their natural choice. Our party stands to gain from this consolidation of votes,” says a party leader.


It helps that most of the Muslim faces are relatively young. If Fahad is in Mumbai, Mahebub Shaikh is the state president of the youth wing of the party. He was a fiery voice during the recent Shivswarajya Yatra and is the party’s candidate from Ashti in Beed, the region that is facing intense quota unrest and is likely to go against the Mahayuti alliance.


The value of these leaders is evident from what Babajani Durrani said while returning to Sharad Pawar after a stint with Ajit Pawar’s NCP. “During the Lok Sabha elections, we saw that Muslims and Dalits did not vote for us only because we are in alliance with BJP, Shinde Sena. For the last ten years, despite India being a robust democracy, Muslims are being targeted,” the Parbhani leader had said when he returned to the party.


The NCP (SP) realises that it now stands to gain the Muslim and Dalit vote which is unlikely to go to Ajit Pawar ever since he forged an alliance with the BJP. An NCP (SP) leader explains that the party is banking on the MADHAV combination of Marathas, Dhangars, Vanjaris along with Muslims and Dalits to consolidate its votes. At such a time, having prominent Muslim leaders gives the community confidence that the party will work for its interests. “We also need to find a replacement for someone like Nawab Mallik and these young faces have a longer career ahead of them,” says the party leader.

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