Juhi Kumari
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A cardiac arrest claimed life of Sushma Swaraj. © Getty Images
Former external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj died on Tuesday night after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was rushed to AIIMS hospital after she complained of restlessness. The senior BJP leader was immediately taken to the emergency ward where doctors performed CPR. But they were unable to revive her. Swaraj was 67 and a diabetic. She had also undergone a kidney transplant procedure in December 2016. Her demise has plunged the entire nation into mourning. Recently, we also lost three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit because of a cardiac arrest.
In this hour of grief, while we offer our condolences to her family, let us also take some time to know what exactly a cardiac arrest is.
A cardiac arrest is basically sudden loss of heart function. It occurs due to an electrical disturbance in your heart that stops its pumping action. This leads to abrupt stopping of blood flow to the body. Most people often get confused by a heart attack and a cardiac attack. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to a part of your heart stops. This causes the death of muscles present in that section of the heart. A person who suffers a cardiac arrest will collapse suddenly, have no pulse or breathe and will experience loss of consciousness. Sometimes, people experience a few symptoms before suffering from cardiac arrest. Those signs include chest discomfort, weakness, palpitation and shortness of breath.
Cardiac arrest occurs due to a problem with your heart's electrical system. This controls the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat. In case something goes wrong, your heart either starts beating rapidly (electrical impulses cause your ventricles to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood) or too slowly (the brain dies of deficiency of blood). In both cases, the blood does not reach other parts of your body.
A cardiac arrest is fatal and, in most of the cases, claims the life of the person suffering from the condition. Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, etc. can increase your risk of suffering from a cardiac arrest. If CPR is not performed immediately to bring the heart rhythm to normal, a person with the condition can die within a few minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used in such cases. This involves chest compression, often with artificial ventilation. This is done to manually preserve brain function until further measures can be taken to restore blood circulation. Reduced blood flow to the brain can cause loss of consciousness leading to brain damage and death.
Diabetes is known as a silent killer. It can lead to various health conditions without giving you any clue. According to a study conducted at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, children and young adults with diabetes are at seven times increased risk of suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest than people without it.
Diabetes is indirectly associated with cardiac arrest. It causes various heart diseases like coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, etc., that are already associated with cardiac arrest. Among these, coronary artery disease is considered to be the leading cause of the condition. In diabetes, a person's body becomes resistant to insulin, an enzyme responsible for converting glucose into energy. This results in excess accumulation of sugar in the bloodstream. As this sugar travels through the body, it causes significant damage to the blood vessels and kidneys. These organs are responsible for maintaining healthy blood pressure. After damage, they become less efficient. This leads to high blood pressure.
Hypertension or high blood pressure puts extra force against the artery walls. Gradually, this added pressure can potentially damage the arteries making them vulnerable to narrowing and plaque build-up. It can lead to decreasing flow of blood (oxygen and nutrients) to your heart, thus causing coronary artery disease. This condition can interfere with the function of your heart and may ultimately lead to a cardiac arrest.
To keep a cardiac arrest at bay, you need to make sure that you follow a healthy lifestyle and maintain your heart health. Here we tell you how.
This is the best way to ensure that your heart is healthy. To keep it in good condition, you should exercise regularly. If your condition keeps you from strenuous exercise, you can take up walking as an alternative. Yoga helps too.
Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as they can lead to obesity and inflammation in the body respectively. These factors are already associated with various heart conditions like stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, etc. Notably, smoking has been scientifically proven to increase your likelihood of developing plaque in the coronary artery.
To avoid a cardiac arrest, you should also manage stress as it can increase your blood pressure, cholesterol level and cause overeating, which is known to cause obesity. These factors can potentially increase your chances of getting a cardiac arrest. To manage your stress level, you can indulge in yoga or meditation.
And last, but not the least, eat right. Do not opt for unsaturated fats present in fast foods like burger, pizza, French fries, etc. Eat green vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli etc. They contain vitamin K. This protects your arteries. You can also have whole grains, which are high in fibre and can help you reduce the level of bad cholesterol in your body and decrease the risk of heart diseases.