NEW DELHI: As winter sets in, the number of patients with cardiac issues increased at city hospitals. Doctors said that pollution and low temperatures are pushing many heart patients to seek insulation and hospitalisation.
“Around 30 patients are coming to the OPD every day which is almost double of what we see on normal days,” a senior doctor from AIIMS said. Dr Tarun Kumar, Professor of Cardiology at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said that after the increase in cold, 5 to 8 patients are landing up in the hospital’s emergency every day. Dr Vikas Chopra, Interventional Cardiologist at Primus Super Speciality Hospital, noted a concerning uptick in the number of heart patients.
Experts said that as winter progresses, the number of heart patients in the emergency departments’ doubles. They added that hormonal changes during winter cause levels of clotting factors, including fibrinogen, to increase which exacerbates the risk of heart attacks.
They also said that studies have shown that a person’s risk of having a heart attack increases by about 33% in winter. “The coronary arteries, like other arteries, can narrow during the winter. This may reduce the blood supply to the heart muscle.
Decreased blood supply can lead to myocardial ischemia and heart attack,” the AIIMS doctor said. “Monitoring blood pressure regularly during winter is important. Early detection of abnormalities enables timely intervention. Adherence to medication, including vaccinations against infections is essential,” said Dr Gagandeep S Wander, Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology, Medanta Gurugram.