The Art and Science of a sudden heart attack

Kolkata: When the lovable Satish Kaushik, 66, passed away suddenly the public narrative was focused on one big thing. On how he was partying in Holi just a couple of days back and rather suddenly he was no more.

This is exactly why I wish to deliberate on the suddenness of death, the usual culprit being heart disease or brain stroke, especially the apparently unwarned varieties. As a recipient of a heart attack in 2019, which led to angioplasty, there is information that begs to be shared. Equally, the constant demise of folks one knew so well, without statutory warnings, must add credence to this thinking.

So, first, it is necessary to differentiate between cardiac arrest and heart attack, terms used loosely interchangeably by media and the citizenry. As per Uncle Google, ‘A heart attack is when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. The heart muscle is robbed of its vital blood supply and, if left untreated, will begin to die because it is not getting enough oxygen. A cardiac arrest is when a person's heart stops pumping blood around their body and they stop breathing normally.’ This is fairly true in every sense as is the fact that cardiac arrests often lead to swift mortality while heart attacks can be salvaged if handled sufficiently.

During my heart attack, the symptoms were dangerously misleading and could be easily construed as muscle pain, the dangerous red herring. The left hand was seemingly twisted and the pain did not corroborate to defensible precedence, but generally, folks in the vicinity seemed to have the answer. It was a panic attack, you see, or maybe simply an extraordinary inflammation of the anatomy. They were dangerously wrong and a timely encounter with a paranoid wife and an equally obstinate GP certainly saved the day, and I do mean life.

The Science of heart attacks is linked exceptionally to data points. Lipid profile scores, BMI, Blood Sugar and cholesterol are a few of the usual suspects and the routine practitioner will examine the reports with vigilante zeal. Then they will prescribe medication as per the first-year syllabus of medical colleges – the statins to neutralize cholesterol and the beta blockers to act as condoms for blood pressure. When a staggering anomaly is discovered, the senior pro will be entrusted and suitable interventions, minimal or subversive, will be auctioned.

The above is indeed well and good but bereft of Emotional Quotient, which is truthfully the defect of Science in originality. This is why Art must step in, as a doubles partner and not just an alternate point of view, to play a more proactive role in prevention, as that is the boss of cure. As an agent of valuable empathy, recognise the circumstances with empathy and act with reasonable logic.

Firstly, mental health professionals must come to parties in the form of equal stakeholders, as important as the cardio or the GP. The heart may be an original stimulant of the mind but it is equally a diligent recipient of happiness or angst, whatever may be the prevalence. Thus, a socio-cultural movement to curate personal happiness must be done pronto, involving every possible societal stakeholder and must be over and above the issues and dilemmas that we all encounter.

Then, comes the avid topic of fitness, as recently amplified by many gymnasium deaths and the heart attack of Sushmita Sen. There is a dangerous tendency amongst BMW-eager millennials to use the gym as a confession box for the body – a punitive regime designed to undo perceived sins. But this is plainly dangerous, as, without educated medical verification, the trap laid by shallow fitness trainers can be fatal. Especially if you are not a natural athlete and that cohort includes the majority of Indians conceived in the plains.

Thus, in a simplistic sense, Science and Art must collaborate to aid the positivity of cardiac health but do note that I am not an expert. Every able-bodied citizen must embrace walking, both as a routine as well as structured exercise, aided by an N95 mask if that be a caveat. This means taking the metro, regulating driving and reducing the physical delegation of domestic or official chores.

On diet, whatever Swiggy and Zomato may suggest, there is no better food than home food. So it is wise to invest in a competent cook or learn the trade oneself, so that biryani, pasta and burger can be consumed in the domestic kitchen. Of course, a fair sprinkling of routine vegetables and fruits must be SOP and this sincerity actually issues the license for red meat or deep-fried indulgences.

Yet another role of Art is the pursuit of a genuine creative vocation and we can simply be recipients as well. Which can be writing, reading, singing, drawing, pottery or whatever else and it does not matter if the only person cheering in the stands is your mirror image. Folks I know thrive on a music and drama regime daily which gives them oxygen for the soul and thankfully, the OTT revolution is superb fodder. And yes, while you are at it, do invest in bearish health insurance early in the tenure, for that gives you peace that you cannot possibly imagine.

Everybody must choose their own poison but many do select this personalized blend of Art and Science for general and indeed, cardiac health. Post-pandemic, we know that astrology is rather overrated and karma is its earnest successor. The Doctors will take care of Science but the Art is in your hands so do get on with it.