A group of youths participated in a bicycle rally to mark Aorta Dissection Awareness Day on Sunday.
The 5-km rally began from Swamy Sivananda Salai and wove its way across the Napier Bridge, Island Grounds, Anna Salai and returned to the starting point. The objective of the rally was to raise awareness about the medical condition and the importance of knowing the basics of the health disorder.
The Institute of Cardiac and Aortic Disorders of SIMS Hospital, Vadapalani, organised the rally. Institute director and senior consultant V.V. Bashi said in India approximately seven lakh people suffer from various types of aortic aneurysms. “Nearly 30,000 people suffer from aortic dissection with fewer than 1% getting the right surgical help. Aortic aneurysm can affect people of any age,” he said.
Symptoms could be misdiagnosed as heart attack, thus delaying medical help. Diabetes, hypertension, smoking, obesity and those over the age of 65 and a family history of aneurysm are at higher risk for the condition. Untreated aortic aneurysm can cause stroke, kidney failure and death by rupture of the aorta. It could lead to death of one in every three affected persons in the first 24 hours and up to 50% in 48 hours, Dr. Bashi said.
Prem Anand Sinha, Additional Commissioner of Police, flagged off the rally. Shekhar Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, was the guest of honour. The hospital’s vice-president Raju Sivasamy was present.
