I guess it was only a matter of time. It was onlyinevitable that I would get to the heart ofthe matter sooner or later. Well! The heart of the matter is that India is staring a ‘heartdisease epidemic’ in the face. What is worrying is that Heart disease isincreasingly affecting young people and women.

According to Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman - CardiacSciences, EHIRCL and founder of Heart to Heart Foundation, “As of now, Heartdisease is the ‘Number one’ killer disease in India. This is singularlyunfortunate particularly because heart disease is upto a great extent,preventable. Sadly, the awareness levels in the country as far as heart diseaseis concerned are appallingly low. It is to address concerns like these that the‘Heart to Heart Foundation’ has been created. The avowed intention is to arrestthe relentless march of heart disease through preventive, curative andrehabilitative measures.”

The foundation seeks to involve government,professional and social bodies across the board in helping evolve a strategyaimed at reducing the overall burden of heart disease. Multi – prongedinterventions aimed at beating heart disease will include: ]Raising awareness through mass media education programmes, Making advanced treatment options available and affordable to the needy and the poor, Training citizens in the basic life – saving measures. (Known as the “ Beat Heart Attack” initiative)

Dr Ashok Seth affirms, “It is my hope thatendeavours like this one will go a long way in helping blunt the deadly thrustsof the ‘number one’ killer disease.” Don’t you agree?