Smriti Mandhana’s Father Shows High BP and Chest Symptoms; Doctors Consider Angiography - What It Means

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana’s father was rushed to the hospital with symptoms resembling a heart attack, days before her wedding. According to doctors at a hospital in Sangli, Shriniwas Mandhana experienced

symptoms of a heart attack after feeling left-sided chest pain. Doctors said his blood pressure was elevated, and he may need angioplasty. The 29-year-old Indian opener has put all wedding celebrations on hold for now. "Shriniwas Mandhana, Smriti Mandhana's father, experienced symptoms of a heart attack around 11:30 after feeling left-sided chest pain. He was immediately transferred to Sarvhit Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Sangli for further assessment. Despite his slightly raised cardiac enzymes, he requires ongoing observation. Our cardiologist, Dr Rohan Thanedar, has examined him as well," Dr Naman Shah, Director of Sarvhit Hospital, told ANI. "There are no new findings on the echocardiogram. However, he may need continuous ECG monitoring and, if necessary, angiography. Currently, his blood pressure is slightly elevated, so he needs continuous monitoring...It could be due to physical or mental stress, perhaps because it is wedding season with a lot of hectic activity,” he added.

What is an elevated blood pressure?

Elevated blood pressure levels mean high blood pressure or hypertension - a condition where the force of blood pushing against artery walls is consistently too high. It is defined as a reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher consistently. Doctors say the condition forces the heart to work harder to pump blood and can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage if untreated. Usually, hypertension has no symptoms, but you could have it for years without feeling any symptoms. According to estimates by the World Health Organisation, more than 46 per cent of adults with hypertension do not know they have it. If your blood pressure is extremely high, you may have symptoms, such as:

• Changes in your mental function
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Edema or swelling in the body
• Heart palpitations
• Peeing less than usual
• Seizures
• Severe headache
• Signs of stroke, such as sudden facial droop, slurred speech, or sudden arm or leg weakness
• Changes in vision, such as eye pain, vision loss, or sudden blurry vision

What causes high blood pressure?

While doctors say they cannot provide a single cause of hypertension for most people, many factors together can make your blood pressure higher. A few of these include:

• Being over 55 years of age
• Having a history of the condition in your biological family
• Smoking or using tobacco products
• Being overweight or having obesity
• Eating foods that are high in sodium
• Not getting enough physical activity.
• Drinking too much alcohol

In many cases, doctors say the specific cause of your high blood pressure can be found, which includes an underlying condition, medication, or substance, including obstructive sleep apnea, renal artery stenosis, primary aldosteronism, and thyroid disease.

Why is angioplasty done?

Doctors perform angioplasty to restore blood flow in a narrowed or blocked artery, most commonly due to a buildup of plaque – known as atherosclerosis. It is used to treat conditions like coronary artery disease, alleviate chest pain, and, crucially, as a life-saving procedure during a heart attack to quickly open a blocked artery. It can also be used on arteries in other parts of the body, such as the neck, legs, or kidneys, to treat blockages in those areas. A heart attack can also be caused by a sudden blockage in a coronary artery. So, angioplasty is done as an emergency procedure to quickly open the artery, restore blood flow, and prevent further damage to the heart muscle.