The Philippine Heart Association has warned of the prevalence of heart diseases such as heart failure as people are scared of seeking medical treatment amid its symptoms, some of which are similar to COVID-19.
“During this pandemic, we may expect the increased prevalence of diseases like heart failure,” PHA President Orly Bugarin said in an online media briefing.
He says being on quarantine is another factor contributing to heart failure due to a sudden lifestyle change.
He says the activities people have been doing have been limited by the pandemic.
“They can’t go out of their homes, they stay at home. And sometimes they consume what is only available, or they lose being conscious about eating healthy food,” Bugarin said.
Because people are afraid of Covid-19, they opt not to go to a hospital to see a doctor despite experiencing warning signs of heart failure.
“Especially now that they do not know which hospitals are admitting or not admitting, since almost all hospitals have suspected (COVID-19) patients,” Bugarin said.
“So that’s the dilemma. That’s the problem we have been encountering. There’s a delay in treating our patients with heart failure because of fear of COVID.”
Due to the delay of treatment in this pandemic, Bugarin says, the condition of a heart patient usually worsens.
Despite the availability of several therapy treatments, the mortality rate remains unacceptably high.
Because of this, Bugarin, also a cardiologist, urges Filipinos to consult a doctor as soon as they feel the symptoms. He says hospitals now have a protocol to follow amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bugarin says people with hypertension, diabetes and even anxiety are also at risk of heart failure.
“So what can one do to lessen his or her chances of getting heart failure? For starters, they have to watch their diet. if they can do exercise, that will be better, good control of your blood pressure, good control of your sugar,” he said.
