He is presently in Mumbai to attend the first World Congress of Cardiology, which was inaugurated on Wednesday by governor Dr PC Alexander. The four day congress, attended by a 1000 delegates features demonstrations of sophisticated techniques by leading cardiologists from India and other countries.

Dr Herrmann said that the most important preventive measures are in the form of dietary therapy, proper exercise, no smoking and drugs that lower cholesterol. He pointed out that in the Indian context, it is more essential to treat a person before he reaches the stage where he requires advanced treatment. It has been noticed that Indians have a genetic predisposition towards heart diseases and that the symptoms might be visible as early as26-30 years of age. In the United States, however, symptoms of heart diseases are visible only after a person turns 40, he pointed out.

Speaking of the recent advances in the field of cardiological intervention, Dr Herrmann said that the use of stents (metallic coils) has revolutionalised this field and that in USA these stents are used in almost 90 percent procedures. This significantly brings down the rate of recurrence in the patients and when used along with potent drug therapies, the results are much better, he said. These advances reduce the mortality rate and at the same time also improve the quality of life of the patients, he added.

In fact, the advances have made it such that cardiological procedures can be carried out on patients at an outpatients department and they can be discharged the same evening, the cardiologist said. Since cardiac problems among patients are increasingly identified at an early stage, they do not have to opt for open heart surgeries. The problems can be rectified usingeasier cardiological procedures, he pointed out.

Another well known cardiologist, Dr Ashwin Mehta, director of cardiology, Jaslok Hospital emphasised the need to provide treatment to a patient who has suffered a heart attack within three hours in order to get maximum results. Studies have shown that more than 50 percent of patients who are given treatment within one hour make a complete recovery, he said. Therefore, people with unexplained chest pain should call in a doctor as soon as possible. They should carry out the necessary tests as well, he added.

The Heart Brigade provides quick treatment to patients in the city who dial the dedicated number - 105, Dr Mehta added. Treatment is started in the ambulance itself. Hospitals should also respond by giving priority to emergency cases and minimising delay, he pointed out.

The cardiologist said that the theme for the next millieneum is to provide therapy that causes minimal invasion with maximum comfort without compromising on the quality of finalresults. Modern drugs and the use of balloon angiolplasty has reduced the mortality to about four percent, which was around 30 percent till 25-30 years ago, he said.