For those who fear having to live with limited mobility and less physical activity after suffering a heart attack or heart failure, ESIC Medical College and Hospital’s Cardiac Rehab Programme (CRP), a first of its kind, comes as a ray of hope.
According to doctors, patients such as 19-year-old Lokith, who was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and had an exercise capacity of only 33 seconds, and 47-year-old Lingam, a welder who suffered a heart failure earlier this year, after taking the CRP, have shown a dramatic change, and are now running up to 21 km.
The programme is physician-supervised and aimed at improving heart pumping capacity and physical fitness.
Ignored aspect
Describing CRP as the first such initiative, ESIC Hospital doctors opined that the rehabilitation process after suffering a heart attack is largely ignored. “After three or four months of the structured rehabilitation process, the heart starts to adapt to the programme, the pumping capacity improves, and the patient becomes fitter and stronger,” said Dr Muralidhar Babi, Assistant Professor, ESIC Medial College Hospital.
Doctors shared the progress of a 34-year-old plumber who suffered a heart attack in 2018 and had a stent placed. But, on account of heart damage, the pumping capacity had dropped to 30%. This affected his professional efficiency. Things began looking up after he enrolled in the programme. He now runs 5 km with ease.
Dr kalyan Pal, Medical Superintendent, Dr Shailaja, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr Sadanand Reddy, Head of the Cardiology Department, and Dr Sushma, HOD, PMR also spoke.
