Heart-to-heart connect: The digital way

Dr Rajnish Duara

(MS, MCh, Senior Consultant Cardiac & Vascular Surgeon.

Past Faculty Cardiothoracic Research Centre, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.

Fellow MICS, Belgium; Fellow Vascular Surgery, Hamilton, New Zealand)

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Humanity is on the threshold of a Great Reset, an epochal change is coming. We are amid great technological upheavals never before preceded in the history of humans, probably only superseded by the leviathan change from humans using Neolithic tools to the invention of the wheel. The wheel of fortune is being set in the highest gear in our times.

Technology has affected us in all spheres of our lives, our position in our planet is easily discovered by GPS in our phones, our daily movements are being analysed by apps calculating our heartbeats, smartwatches monitor real-time blood glucose levels and analytics in sync with software in our laptops or Artificial Intelligence (AI) on mobile phones advise us on our diet, number of extra steps to be taken, calories that need to be burnt and even suggest to call our heartthrob. We can peep inside blood vessels using ultrasound, use LASERs to cut through rocky plaques inside blood vessels and do cardiac surgery through small holes, replace valves inside the heart using tubes that can reach from peripheral arteries and even denervate abnormal nerves which cause the heart to flutter.

The digital era is being increasingly augmented by the use of AI not only through networking, software integration but also through connectivity. The global village is now a Noosphere, a technological term wherein the whole netizens are connected. Humanity is now a single macro organism, our consciousness united by technology. We have realized this much with the current disaster affecting our lives, the Covid-19 pandemic. This has changed the way we live on this planet. It has affected our cardiac health in two major ways. Firstly, SARS Cov 2 itself enters through the cells in our lungs and heart and causes intense damage leading to subsequent multi-organ damage. Secondly, multiple universal lockdowns have shut down the planet, humanity is utilizing the noosphere to connect. And this has resulted in maintaining the health of humans through digital applications. Not only in our regular functioning like online school classes, but online health check-ups, digital counselling, and apps on phones which guide us to maintain our cardiac health. The virtual world of zooms and webinars has invaded the meeting halls and capacity building of healthcare workers like never before. At the touch of the button, one is in the meeting room.

The Corona pandemic of 2019 had placed a tremendous burden on heart diseases or rather Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD) worldwide. Before this pandemic, CVD is the leading cause of death amongst non-communicable diseases (NCD). Corona is a communicable disease, but it has secondary effects on the heart and blood vessels, and hence it has become a 'double trouble' public health issue. 520 million people are suffering from CVD, they are at increased risk due to the Corona pandemic.18.6 million deaths occur worldwide due to CVD this is more than HIV, Malaria and Cancer deaths; with Corona, this number has jumped exponentially.

The World Heart Federation (WHF) based in Geneva, Switzerland is renamed the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC) in 1998. In 1978, ISFC was formed by the merger of two bodies – the International Society of Cardiology and the International Cardiology Federation. WHF has been creating awareness amongst people using World Heart Day since 2000. Initially held on every last Sunday of September, it is being held now on 29th of September for last many years. WHF unites people across countries generating awareness, educating people on the factors causing heart diseases and efforts to promote better health for all. World leaders in this field pledged to reduce CVD deaths up to 25% by 2025. As last year we are using our heart to connect, and that is the motto we are continuing this year too.

There are three pillars in this movement. The first is equity. All hearts are not equal, some are sick. Technology has still not reached everyone on this planet. Digital connect can create an egalitarian society by connecting across age, gender, sick, infirm, patients and healthcare workers together. The second is prevention. We need to take a healthy diet, avoid smoking, reduce stress in life, adopt a healthy lifestyle and use digital technology to monitor cardiac health; control of hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes are core issues. And finally, it is the community. People are marginalized due to the pandemic. Access to health facilities is restricted. We are disconnected from family and friends and physical activities are at the lowest ebb on the planet. We should digitally connect with our friends and families and use technology to overcome isolation and gaps in care.

The netizens of the world deserve a healthy heart and let us pledge on this World Heart Day of 29th September 2021 to use our 'Heart to Connect Digitally, Healthily and with Compassion'.

"You will never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart" … George Michael.