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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.

Time to say “Speak to me in Marathi”

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Mumbai: “Mi Marathit bolnar. Majhyashi Marathit bolayche!” (I will speak in Marathi. Speak to me in Marathi!)


Anand Bhandare
Anand Bhandare

The banners raised in many parts of Worli bearing this ‘pledge’ are turning a lot of heads nowadays. Written in Marathi, they seem to sending a resolute message to onlookers that one takes an immense pride in speaking in Marathi and others should respect it by conversing with him in the same language.


The banners have been put up by Anand Bhandare, the official of Marathi Abhyas Kendra – an organisation which has been on the forefront of a statewide agitation against the imposition of Hindi in primary schools in Maharashtra. The posters also bear the name of Bhandare and his organisation, along with his personal phone number, on it.


The banners can be seen at many prominent places in Worli like Jambori Maidan, Worli Naka and others. In the backdrop of recent incidents that triggered allegations of mistreatment towards the Marathi language and local people, they have become the talk of the town, attracting a great deal of attention and interest from the viewers.


“This is my small effort to promote and spread our language,” said Bhandare while speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice.’ “The first sentence is my pledge and since I am firm on it, I have given it a full stop. It means there is no compromise on it. The second sentence is my expectation from the other person (who may be Marathi or non-Marathi) and therefore I have given it an exclamation mark. If I have expectations from the other person, I have to be first firm on my stand. That is the prerequisite.”


When asked what made him to go for this innovative concept, Bhandare said, “Someone may ask how appropriate it is to do such banner-making for the promotion and propagation of a mother tongue in our own state. But for the past several decades, we and our earlier generations have ‘generously’ avoided speaking in Marathi and we are suffering the consequences of it. Otherwise, no one would have been beaten up or there would have been no fights over speaking in Marathi in Mumbai.”


More in festive season

Bhandare stated that he is planning to spread this message to more people in the upcoming festive season. “We are planning to appeal the mandals of Dahi Handi, Ganpati and Navratri festivals to promote the use of Marathi language. This slogan can be used on T-shirts in Dahihandi. The posters can also be put up in the pavilions during Navratri and Ganeshotsav. Its stickers can be put up in trains, societies, taxis and rickshaws,” he said.


The activist expressed satisfaction that the idea has struck a cord of Marathi people, who are becoming more aware of their language. “One of our activists Ghanshyam Detke has also put up such banners in Kandivali. Others are planning to raise banners in Mulund and Chembur. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Vadapav vendor woman in Thane has put up a banner on her stall insisting on customers to speak in Marathi,” he added.


However, as the ‘Marathi Bola’ movement is gaining momentum, there is an equal amount of opposition to it from the other side. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasise on this viewpoint, the activist added.

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