Dr Pranav Kabra explains why bodybuilders must undergo EECP therapy to avoid heart attacks

MUMBAI: According to Dr Pranav Kabra, cardiac and diabetes expert at the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital at Malad in suburban Mumbai, Enhanced External Counterpulsation or EECP is a non-invasive alternative therapy or treatment method and is of great help to male actors, models and others who are into bodybuilding and weight training.

EECP encourages blood vessels to open new pathways for blood to flow to the heart. These pathways eventually become “natural bypass” vessels that help relieve symptoms of angina if your coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.

Increase in homocysteine levels in the body due to vitamin deficiency, which in bodybuilders is caused due to lack of proper natural nutrition and greater or complete dependence on health foods, powders and protein supplements, while skipping fruits and veggies is one of the major causes of heart attack in males above the age of 40.

Explaining the circumstances, Dr Kabra said, “An increase in homocysteine levels in the body is one of the major causes of heart attack. 99 percent of people do all blood tests except for homocysteine.

Dr Kabra said he has personally observed patients with high homocysteine levels leading to cardiac issues at a very young age.

High levels of homocysteine can damage the inside of your arteries and increase your risk of forming blood clots.

This may increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, and other heart diseases and cause blood vessel disorders.

Non-invasive EECP is an effective treatment strategy that can improve the quality of life of patients and help avoid heart disease in patients with problems of blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension and stress, which actors normally face due to peer pressure.

EECP treatment increases the blood flow to the heart, simultaneously stimulating the opening and formation of new collaterals (small branches of blood vessels around the heart) to create a natural bypass around narrowed or blocked arteries, increasing the blood flow within the body.

EECP therapy is an outpatient treatment for angina and heart failure and as a preventative therapy for heart disease in general, Dr Kabra explains.

The EECP success rate is 95 percent and more. Most patients who undergo EECP therapy will have significant improvement in the quality of their life, exercise time; they will be able to reduce the medicine which they are taking to reduce symptoms
of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Treatments are usually given for an hour each day, five days a week, for a total of 35 hours.

Patients who have already undergone an angiography or bypass surgery can also take this treatment to improve their angina pain and avoid future surgeries. This is because unlike bypass surgery and angioplasty, EECP targets the entire heart altogether and improves overall heart and blood circulation.

What is Homocysteine?
Homocysteine is an amino acid. Vitamins B12, B6 and folate break down homocysteine in the body to create other chemicals the body needs. High homocysteine levels may mean you have a vitamin deficiency, which in bodybuilders is caused due to lack of proper nutrition.

Bodybuilders only focus on amino acids and proteins forgetting about vitamins, minerals etc., from natural sources like vegetables and fruits, which the body needs to synthesize the proteins, opines Dr Kabra.