PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, Mar 10: At present 40% of the patients coming to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) having cardiac disease belong to the Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).
According to Dr Rakesh Kumar Choudhary, Rheumatic Heart Disease is caused due to poverty and is prevalent in India and its neighbouring countries. Typically, ARF (Acute Rheumatic Fever) appears in low-socioeconomic communities which further leads to RHD which starts damaging the valves of the heart.
Talking about prevention from getting into the grip of RHD, he said that healthy hygiene practices reduce the risk of RHD. Improved economic, social, behavioural, as well as environmental conditions, would help in reducing the burden of RHD.
“RHD is a condition where one has long-lasting heart valve damage after one or more illness episodes of ARF (Acute Rheumatic Fever). One or more of the heart valves may be left with scarring or even stretching, leading to issues with your blood flowing properly. When these valves are damaged, the blood may either backflow into the heart’s chambers or may become stuck and not be able to be pumped out through valves,” Dr Rakesh said.
“RHD gradually starts damaging the valves of the heart in 5-10 years and reaches its climax in 20-30 years. At the terminal stage, the patient requires cardiac surgery which involves valve replacement through open-heart surgery which is difficult,” Dr. Rakesh added.
“After surgery, there is need of anticoagulation (blood thinner) because of which life remains threatened for the whole life of the patient. So that disease must be prevented at its initial stage. This is only possible by giving proper screening to the doctors of both urban and rural areas so that RHD is stopped in its initial stage and does not progress to the stage of open-heart surgery,” Dr. Rakesh said.
