Heart disease is increasing in our country mainly because the risk factors for development of heart-related ailments are very high among us. Most people ignore the danger signals. Even those who have suffered a heart attack or heart failure don’t bother to continue treatment or change their lifestyle. India’s health infrastructure, particularly cardiac care facilities, has vastly improved over the past decade. Yet the average Indian pays scant attention to heart health. Ignoring the early warning signs of heart disease can cause premature deaths and when it affects the breadwinner, the whole family suffers. We have seen this happening time and again and as cardiologists we feel that there is an urgent need to improve awareness levels of the people about heart disease. Much of the progress achieved in the developed countries in tackling heart disease was brought about by the high level of awareness of risk factors among the public. This book is a humble attempt from our part to rectify this deficiency and increase the knowledge level about heart and heart disease. Every effort has been made to use simple language and to answer common questions asked by the patients. This book is a must read for every Indian and we hope it will provide guidance in matters of heart for years to come.

Chief Editor: Dr. Mohanan P.P., President, Cardiological Society of India
Associate Editor: Dr. Geevar Zachariah
Section Editors: Dr. Venugopal K., Dr. Jayagopal P.B., Dr. Jabir A., Dr. Cibu Mathew