Over 2,000 heart disease deaths recorded annually – GPHC’s Director

The Cardiology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday hosted its 4th Cardiology Symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), bringing together close to 300 healthcare workers and key stakeholders in a renewed push to strengthen cardiovascular care and prevention across Guyana.

Themed, “Healthy Hearts, Healthy Guyana: Advancing Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease,” the annual conference focused on prevention and early detection of heart disease amid growing concern over rising cases among younger populations. The event was described as a major collaborative platform aimed at strengthening clinical learning, improving patient care, and enhancing coordination among health professionals in the fight against cardiovascular disease.

Addressing the gathering, GPHC’s Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr Navindranath Rambaran, highlighted what he described as a troubling increase in sudden cardiac deaths among young people. “Increasingly, we have seen young individuals presented with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, arrhythmias, and premature coronary artery disease (CAD),” he said. He noted that the trend is particularly concerning given that it affects individuals in their most productive years, creating both social and economic implications for families and the wider society.

Dr Rambaran revealed that heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death in Guyana, accounting for more than 2,000 deaths annually, with over half attributed to CAD. Meanwhile, Director General of the Health Ministry, Dr Vishwa Mahadeva, underscored the importance of prevention and the need for stronger adherence to medical protocols across the healthcare system.

“We need all of you, all of us need to be educated, all of us need to know what is our role in the system to help to prevent these diseases, to help to prevent persons from dying. If not to prevent it, then at least to delay the onset of serious issues,” he said. He also called for increased numbers of healthcare professionals to specialise in cardiology, noting that this would help close existing gaps in care delivery across the country.

GPHC Head of Cardiology, Dr Michael Chin, in his presentation of the Annual Doobay Memorial Lecture, warned that Guyana continues to face a high burden of heart disease due to widespread risk factors. He pointed to diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, smoking, family history of coronary artery disease, and a high prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) within the Indo-Guyanese population as contributing factors.

Dr Chin stressed that many patients only present when the disease is already advanced. He emphasised the need for early population screening and aggressive management of risk factors, particularly among younger individuals, noting that early intervention could significantly reduce complications. He also highlighted the use of advanced diagnostic tools such as coronary calcium scoring and lipoprotein(a) testing to detect subclinical coronary artery disease before it progresses.

Dr Chin further outlined what he described as the ABCDEF approach to prevention, focusing on blood pressure control, diabetes management, healthy body weight, cholesterol treatment, smoking cessation, diet, exercise and regular medical follow-up. Other presentations addressed clinical management and prevention strategies across various aspects of cardiac care.

Interventional cardiologist Dr Terrence Haynes discussed findings from coronary angiograms involving young patients presenting with heart attacks, highlighting the challenges of managing premature coronary disease in the catheterisation laboratory.

Cardiologist Dr Kelecia Niles focused on the importance of lipid-lowering therapy, including statins, for both diagnosed heart disease patients and individuals with risk factors such as diabetes and high cholesterol. Nutritionist Djmilsa Lambert emphasised dietary intervention as a key preventive tool, urging greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while reducing refined starches and unhealthy fats.

She also encouraged the use of locally available foods in promoting heart-healthy eating habits.