New York, April 15: People with a certain heart valve abnormality may be at an increased risk of developing severe heart rhythm disorders also known as arrhythmias, according to a study on Tuesday.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden showed that the valve abnormality called Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias — a dangerous type of heart rhythm disorder that, in the worst case, can lead to cardiac arrest.

The team found that the risk of arrhythmias persists even after successful valve surgery.

MAD is often associated with a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, which affects 2.5 per cent of the population and causes one of the heart’s valves to leak. This can lead to blood being pumped backward in the heart, causing heart failure and arrhythmias. The disease can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, showed that people with MAD were more likely to be female and were on average eight years younger than those without MAD.

They also had more extensive mitral valve disease.

Although the surgery was successful in correcting MAD, these patients had more than three times the risk of ventricular arrhythmias during five years of follow-up compared to patients without preoperative MAD.

“Our results show that it is important to closely monitor patients with this condition, even after a successful operation,” said Bahira Shahim, Associate Professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

In the study, the researchers investigated the risk of cardiac arrhythmias in 599 patients with mitral valve prolapse who underwent heart surgery at Karolinska University Hospital between 2010 and 2022.

The study aims to further explore new hypotheses such as that MAD causes permanent changes in the heart muscle over time, and that MAD is a sign of an underlying heart muscle disease

Mumbai: A 73-year-old Andheri resident, Steven Fernandes, suffered a fatal heart attack in the early hours of Thursday as his family struggled to arrange an ambulance in time. Despite living just five minutes from a private hospital and 20 minutes from the civic-run Dr. R.N. Cooper Hospital, critical minutes were lost due to an unresponsive emergency service and delays from a private ambulance.

“At 2 am, my husband and I were frantically calling every number we could find for an ambulance,” Mohua Gupta, Fernandes’ daughter-in-law, told media. Their first attempt was to dial 108, the state emergency response service, but the call either didn’t go through or connected to 103, the police helpline. With no help forthcoming, the family turned to an online search, which led them to a private ambulance vendor from Andheri East.

Relief Turns Into Distress Due To Ambulance Delay

Relieved that someone had agreed to come, the family focused on Fernandes, who lay unconscious. Moving him without assistance was impossible, as he weighed over 100 kg. However, their relief turned to distress when the private ambulance took over 40 minutes to arrive, despite the lack of traffic at that hour.

Upon arrival, the ambulance lacked essential medical equipment. “There was only a driver and a helper, no paramedic, no physician, not even a stretcher. Just a rubber mat for him to lie on,” Gupta told media. There was also no oxygen supply or masks, which are critical for cardiac emergencies.

Adding to their frustration, before even shifting the patient, the ambulance service sent a text message demanding Rs 5,500 for the trip. “We were shocked. After protesting, they reduced the charge to Rs 2,500, but we had no choice but to pay,” she recalled.

Patient Passed Away Before Reaching Hospital

Shortly after the private ambulance left, the family dialed 108 again. This time, the call was diverted to Cooper Hospital, and an official ambulance was dispatched. However, it took another 30 minutes to arrive. By then, the crucial Golden Hour, the first 60 minutes after a heart attack, when timely medical intervention can be life-saving, had passed. Fernandes’ pulse had flatlined by the time he reached the hospital.

Kolkata, March 24: With The Calcutta High Court on Monday directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a comprehensive report on the rape and murder of the junior doctor of the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, the victim’s father welcomed the court’s intervention.

“The judge has asked the CBI to determine how many people were involved and take further action. They have been directed to present the case diary in court on Friday. We trust the judiciary and believe that justice will prevail,” the father said.

The parents had moved the court raising concerns raised over the slow pace of the investigation and alleged attempts to shield those responsible.

The father also criticised the state government’s inconsistent stand, saying: “Sometimes they say there is no objection, other times they raise objections. We don’t understand their position. What investigation did they conduct in the first five days? Do they even have the right to question the probe?”

The victim’s mother also expressed dissatisfaction with the probe, alleging that her daughter was tortured at the hospital for refusing to accept fake medicines, injections, and saline.

“The CBI has not been able to conduct a proper probe yet. From the beginning, we maintained that Sanjay Roy was not the only accused of my daughter’s murder. Her colleagues, VP, Sandeep Ghosh, and others are involved in this institutional murder,” she claimed.

She further alleged that the state’s Mamata Banerjee government had been obstructing the investigation since August 9, despite her daughter being a government employee who died while on duty.

“The Health Minister and the Chief Minister were responsible for identifying those involved. But from day one, there have been efforts to cover up the matter. However, we will not give up. There may be delays, but we will get justice,” she asserted.

The Supreme Court, which is hearing the case, had recently permitted parallel hearings in the case at the Calcutta High Court, following which the victim’s parents approached the court with a fresh plea questioning the CBI’s progress.