AI improving early detection, prevention in cardiac patients
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This is the reason why city hospitals are adopting AI in cardiac care. Two hospitals have upgraded their cardiac suite with an AI programme, while Jaslok Hospital on Pedder Road on Saturday said its cardiologists could, in outpatient settings, assess the cardiovascular risk of a patient in a few seconds.
"Our main goal is prevention, not just treatment. Based on a cardiac profile, the AI programme will predict heart diseases in patients," said senior cardiologist Dr Ajit Desai from the hospital.
Every third death in India is due to heart disease, underlining the urgency for preventive cardiac care. Experts told TOI that AI could play a role in detecting heart disease early enough for medicines to work. Dr Ajay Mahajan, head of cardiology at KEM Hospital, said, "AI can transform nearly every aspect of cardiac care—such as automatically flagging abnormal rhythms on ECGs or quantifying ventricular function and pinpointing valve lesions on an Echo scan.
" He added that AI-guided optical coherence tomography (OCT) during angioplasty can measure vessel diameter, detect calcium, ensure optimal stent positioning and diagnose stent failures.
Interventional cardiologist Dr Ananth Rao said, "With algorithms built into modern angiography suites, clinicians can now generate live 3D reconstructions of coronary vessels—pinpointing calcium deposits, soft plaques or clots—before they start the procedure." In short, he said, "AI is an absolute part of the future of medicine." tnn
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Is your Vitamin, magnesium supplement really the magic pill you think it is? Experts reveal truths behind India's new health obsession
The Arora family in a plush condominium of Noida believes an apple is simply not enough to keep the doctor away. Ever since COVID-19 instilled the idea of immunity, they have built their safety dome to disperse every bug coming their way, with a wellness store in the premises addressing all their fears and concerns. Naveen Arora, 52, has been on shilajit supplement for reverse-ageing and energy. His mother Ashalata, 75, still swears by ashwagandha capsules post her Covid near-death scare, hoping her lungs can breathe better. Wife Prerna Sharma has been on Vitamin D supplements for bones and magnesium oil massage for insomnia. Teen daughter Aradhana takes biotin gummies for her thinning hair and collagen powder for shapely nails. And they all pop multivitamins. The catch? None of them has ever consulted a doctor on whether they need these health boosters at all, relying instead on pharmacists, peer groups and social media-driven advisories. None of the benefits these supplements claim is supported by clinical trials. Most aren't even regulated. Worse, the Aroras still fall sick every season as before. Last week, Naveen was shocked to discover elevated liver enzymes despite not drinking alcohol or having fatty liver. 'That was the side effect of shilajit,' he says. Prerna ended up with more muscle cramps than ever. 'I kept taking the daily Vitamin D pills, thinking my pain was symptomatic of a deficiency. I didn't get tested or know I was supposed to stop in between,' she says. 'It's not that you won't need vitamins ever. But you need to get tested first and go to a doctor who is best placed to guide you on their usage,' says Dr Rommel Tickoo, Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare, Delhi. Preventive healthcare is being misinterpreted by Indians across age groups. It is seen as a magic pill that can eliminate the need for doctors and gives them agency over their bodies. That's the promise that beckons everyone as they walk into a pharmacy that has aisles glistening with Omega 3 globule jars, collagen creams and capsules, fat-burner and protein powders, the sugar-lowering lauki and jamun juice, magnesium gummies and vitamins, the many colours and letters of which you didn't know. Like you have uncorked the boring B complex syrup bottle to release hidden powers. In attractive packages and with reassuring claims, health supplements are redrawing the contours of new age consumerism, preying on your fear and anxiety of disease and fluffing up an illusion of security. On the pretext of developing health awareness, the supplement industry is building a culture of dependence instead of encouraging you to make actual changes in your lifestyle and diet. It bleeds you insidiously while letting you think that you are saving up on the doctor's fee and medical bills. That's tempting. 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Dr Reddy finds that dietary supplements, being marketed as nutraceuticals, are irrational or unnecessary with some being even harmful to health. 'A diverse, balanced diet will provide most of the nutrients we need while a healthy gut microbiome, which is nurtured by dietary fibre, manufactures some essential vitamins. A beneficial interaction between phytonutrients, present in natural fruit and vegetables, is usually absent in supplements,' he says. He even cites clinical trials of antioxidant supplements which showed no benefit for heart disease prevention (Vitamin E, Vitamin C) or even harm (beta carotene) while cohort studies with natural foods showed benefits. 'Protein supplements overload the kidneys if injudiciously consumed by body builders,' he says. Dr Tickoo has seen too many cases of supplement overdose. He recounts how a 25-year-old patient was admitted with kidney failure after a Vitamin D overdose. 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First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Dr explains: How air pollution, stress and late pregnancies are fuelling India's fertility crisis
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India Today
3 hours ago
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