KOCHI: Have you ever collapsed and if so, are you aged between 26 and 44? Then, it could be a warning signal, says Dr George Thayil in his new book ‘Hridroga chikitsa puthiya kandethalukalioode’ (cardiology through new insights).
The gravity of the issue will become clear once you take a look at the figures. Between 350 and 400 die every year in the state after collapsing which makes almost dozen deaths every day.
The book is the latest work of Dr George Thayil, eminent cardiologist and founder head of Department of Cardiology at Lourdes Hospital, Kochi.
“Though the state has policies for everything right from water to liquor, it has not formulated a health policy so far. There is also a need to make people aware of the modes to prevent stress. Dr George Thayil’s attempt, through the book, is a step in that regard, says Dr Iqbal in the preface.
And, this, aptly, is the best words to describe the 198-paged book on cardiology.
The fifth book from Dr Thayil has been divided into 37 chapters. This includes information about new developments and inventions such as Alive Core ECG through mobile phones, Stents which would dissolve, shock-wave therapy for the support of heart and debates as to which is better - angioplasty or bypass surgery?.
Thayil, who is actively involved in the mission to save lives by creating awareness in the field of cardiology, also gives advises regarding the relation between stress and heart diseases, how being happy can reduce the risk of heart diseases, how chocolates can be cause heart failures and plaster treatment for rejuvenating a ailing heart.
After a life time devoted to preventive medicine, Dr Thayil is convinced that only a radical change in the lifestyle of people can prevent the occurrence of heart diseases, which is a real epidemic and a major causes of death all over the world.
He corrects a popular myth that alcohol is a friend of the heart and categorically states that it is actually an enemy by quoting the experiments in Denmark.
According to him, the popular advise that two pegs of alcohol for men and one peg for women is good for heart, has to be rewritten. Atrial Fibrillation, an abnormal heart beat, is common among alcoholics with the beats going between 250 and 350 in place of 70 a minute. So, he advises to keep away from booze, especially to those who downs bottles during weekends, as it can increase the possibility of heart diseases and could eventually result in a stroke.
The noted cardiologist promises that as with the case of his other books, he will use the profit from the sale of this one towards the treatment of poor cardiac patients. The book is published by Current Books and is priced at `150.