Empowering Patients to Take Charge of Their Heart Health

The Changing Face of Heart Health

India today has a pronounced public health challenge - cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for at least 27% of deaths worldwide. With the current burden of the disease, we can conclude that cardiovascular disease has become a silent epidemic in India. Based on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) record of 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India,' there were 32,457 deaths in 2022 due to heart attacks, up from 28,413 deaths in 2021.

Although medical advancements limit the severity of these conditions, it is equally important to identify and empower patients to seek timely awareness and to have access to tools to make changes.

The official theme for World Heart Day 2025, "Don't Miss a Beat," truly highlights the importance of active patient participation in care. The real breakthrough is when patients take an active role in their health. On World Heart Day, we should focus on empowering patients through knowledge, access and choices that can save their lives.

The Traditional Model vs. The Patient-Centric Approach

Historically, care has been doctor-led and reactive—patients only come in after symptoms worsen. A shift is necessary toward preventive and participatory care. Patient empowerment results in better health outcomes, lower costs, and increased resilience. When patients recognize their role in prevention through lifestyle change and long-term care, the cardiology story in India will be rewritten. 

What Does Empowerment Look Like?

• Awareness and prevention for cardiovascular health: Early identification of symptoms like chest pain, breathlessness, and fatigue are extremely critical. In metro cities, health campaigns and corporate wellness initiatives have fuelled discussions about healthy hearts. This awareness is also expanding in tier I cities and rural India through community health camps, NGOs and government outreach efforts. These campaigns highlight on monitoring vitals such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and BMI. 
• Lifestyle factors are critical for maintaining cardiovascular wellness: healthy diet, physical activity, sleep quality, and stress management. 
• Digital Therapies: The biggest game-changer in the heart health story in India is likely technology. Digital health therapies - Smartwatches with ECG monitoring and heart rate monitors are growing in popularity. Home Monitoring Devices - affordable blood pressure monitors, digital glucometers, and pulse oximeters are commonly found in homes. Telemedicine and Diagnostics using AI, etc., are growing in popularity.
• Shared Decision Making: The current paradigm shift takes place when the patient and the doctor engage in a shared decision-making process. Patients work with doctors, not just follow instructions.

Barriers to Patient Empowerment

• The issue of lack of awareness and health literacy persists—self-care awareness remains low, and health literacy is quite low. 
• Cultural attitudes: Patients often defer to doctors without asking questions. Many communities demonstrate a great reluctance to talk about the fact that they need medical advice or even to share their symptoms, thus delaying diagnosis.
• Funding issues: Financial issues are a common deterrent to access preventive care. 
• Gender differences: Another significant barrier is gender bias in accessing cardiac care. Although women are prevalent in CVD, women are generally less likely to access care, due to social norms and expectations. Programs must extend awareness past women, as families can also assist in prioritizing heart health for women.

The current priority for health care providers, pharmaceutical organizations, government, communities, and organizations is to come together to advance preventive care. Hospitals are doing their part by developing education sessions in multiple languages, as well as lifestyle counselling clinics that integrate diet, exercise, and yoga lessons with medical treatment. Adherence improves when patients understand the “why” behind a treatment or lifestyle approach.

Looking Ahead: A Future Where Patients Lead Their Care

India is at a pivotal moment in managing heart disease. The nation is beginning the process of transforming the landscape of heart health through education, utilization of technology, prevention, and patient empowerment. The new face of cardiology in India goes beyond just utilizing state-of-the-art hospitals in big cities — it is about a movement to change the way that every person, from a city worker to the farmer who lives in a rural village, attends to their own heart health.

This World Heart Day, we reaffirm our dedication to raising awareness, fostering compassion, and building partnerships. When empowered patients collaborate with healthcare stakeholders, they can combat the silent killer and help create a healthier India.