Cardiac Care - Technological innovations and advancements

Cardiac screening to determine the risk of heart attack and heart damage

- Dr Mahantesh R. Charantimath

Heart disease is one of the major cause of mortality in our country. Sedentary lifestyle, increased craving for processed food, alcohol consumption and smoking are the foremost cause for the rise of Heart disease. Proper diet, regular exercise and getting regular heath check-ups can help to avoid serious consequences. However, rising heart problems, cardiovascular devices and their significance in heart-related therapies are gradually gaining attention.

Now self-monitoring of heart health is being made easier with upgraded technology in wearable electronic devices (smartwatches or smartphones). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has made more advancement in cardiac screening technology, and are widely used to speed up examination process.

Emerging innovations, in both pathology radiology tests, aids in screening heart disease. Cardiac screening to determine the risk of heart attack and heart damage:

• Troponin Test: This high sensitivity test is a relatively recent cardio marker test, which is considered as the best for assessing heart disease. This test measures the protein troponin I and troponin T, in the blood. Typically, troponin stays inside heart muscle’s cells and get released into the blood when the heart muscle is damaged from a heart attack. It remains in the bloodstream long after an attack. High levels protein troponin I and troponin T indicate a definite recent heart attack, heart injury or heart damage.