STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In view of improving healthcare in elderly persons particularly with respect to old age homes Dr Sushil Sharma organized a day long awareness and screening camp for elderly persons at Home for the Aged and Infirm, Amphalla Jammu where patients as well as their caretakers were educated about the role of primary prevention and timely intervention for decreasing the mortality and morbidity associated with Cardiac ailments in geriatric patients particularly.
While interacting with the people, Dr Sushil stated that age plays a vital role in the deterioration of cardiovascular functionality, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults.
The prevalence of CVD has also been shown to increase with age, in both men and women, including the prevalence of atherosclerosis, stroke and, myocardial infarction, he said adding that the burden of CVD is directly related to increased mortality, morbidity, and frailty in affected individuals, which also translates to significant overall healthcare costs.
Given that the aged population is expected to increase by 2050, by as much as two- and three-fold, the need for a better understanding of the etiologies associated with CVD in older adults is critically needed.
He elaborated that the aging and elderly population are particularly susceptible to cardiovascular disease. Age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults, but these risks are compounded by additional factors, including frailty, obesity, and diabetes.
These factors are known to complicate and enhance cardiac risk factors that are associated with the onset of advanced age, he said.
Sex is another potential risk factor in aging adults, given that older females are reported to be at a greater risk for CVD than age-matched men. However, in both men and women, the risks associated with CVD increase with age, and these correspond to an overall decline in sex hormones, primarily of estrogen and testosterone, Dr Sushil said .
Many risk factors have been linked to the development of CVD, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
However, sex differences are also frequently observed in aging adults, with regards to both onset and prevalence of CVD, he said adding that risks associated with age present an inimitable difficulty with regards to medical treatment, especially with respect to critical and intensive care treatments. Given that the prevalence of health complications increases with advanced age, he added.
Dr Sushil Sharma, while educating the elderly and their caretakers, laid stress on interventions or treatments that slow accelerated aging of the heart and arteries in young and middle-aged people who seem to be healthy could prevent or delay the onset of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular disorders in later life. Some interventions that we already know slow the rate of aging in the heart and arteries include healthy eating, exercise, reducing stress, and quitting smoking.
Management Committee of the Home for the Aged and Infirm I D Soni (President), Harbans Singh Manhas (Vice President), Vijay Bagotra (Secretary) and Vijay Gupta (Joint Secretary) appreciated the selfless efforts of Dr. Sushil and his team in extending quality healthcare and expressed hope that such program could be a regular feature in future.
Others who were part of this camp include Dr Arvind Kohli (Vascular Surgeon), Dr Nasir Ali Choudhary (Cardiologist), Dr Anitipal Singh (Orthopaedics) and Dr Dhaneshwer Kapoor. Paramedics and volunteers includes Raghav Rajput, Kamal Sharma, Rajkumar, Maneet Kumar, Paramveer Singh, Sandeep Pal, Sahil Sharma, Sunil Pandit, Shivam Magotra, Harvinder Singh, Rajinder Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Gourav Sharma and Vikas Kumar.