Hyderabad, July 2025 : With India witnessing a quiet
explosion in heart failure cases, many striking working-age adults, STAR
Hospitals has launched the STAR Heart Failure Clinic in Hyderabad, an
initiative poised to tackle this growing crisis. The clinic aims to serve not
only Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but also patients across India, combining
world-class care with the urgency of a public health mission.
Over the past five years, heart disease treatment claims
have nearly doubled, and sudden cardiac deaths in the region have surged
dramatically. In Telangana alone, 282 deaths were recorded in 2022; most among
men in their 30s to 50s. Hyderabad’s rising burden of hypertension, diabetes,
obesity, and stress has made it the epicenter of India’s cardiovascular risk
and the ideal launchpad for a clinic designed to prevent deaths, improve
quality of life, and reduce re-hospitalizations among heart failure patients.
STAR
Heart Failure Clinic: A Lifesaving, Life-Changing Hub for India
With an
estimated 8–10 million Indians currently living with heart failure and up to
1.8 million new cases each year, the need for specialized, integrated care is
critical.
The STAR
Heart Failure Clinic will provide:
·
Comprehensive diagnostics and risk
stratification
·
Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) with
proven survival benefits
·
Daycare infusion, cardiac rehab, and lifestyle
support
·
Evaluation for advanced therapy such as Heart
Transplant & LVAD – Left Ventricular Assist Devices
·
Long-term follow-up to prevent relapses and
hospitalizations
Most importantly, the clinic aims to bridge a massive care
gap; national data shows that only 25–47% of Indian patients currently receive
guideline-recommended heart failure therapies, despite their ability to reduce
mortality by up to 60%.
A Hyderabad-Driven Solution to a National Crisis
“India’s heart failure landscape is far more complex and urgent than
many realize. Unlike the West, where patients typically present in their 70s,
we’re seeing Indians with heart failure nearly a decade earlier, often in their
50s and 60s at the peak of their working lives.
Nearly 70% of these patients are men, many of them family breadwinners.
The leading causes—ischemic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, and
rheumatic heart disease are striking younger, harder, and faster. Unfortunately,
our in-hospital and one-year mortality rates remain nearly twice as high as the
global averages. This is precisely why we’ve launched the STAR Heart Failure
Clinic, to offer early diagnosis, structured therapy, and long-term care that
can dramatically change outcomes for these patients and their families.”— Dr.
Gopichand Mannam, Managing Director, STAR
Hospitals Group, Hyderabad.
A Silent Crisis: Heart Failure Gripping Younger Indians:
Heart failure is emerging as a major public health challenge in India, driven
by rising prevalence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and
increasing life expectancy. Unlike in the West, heart failure in India often
affects younger patients, leading to significant socio-economic impact. The
disease burden is compounded by late diagnosis, suboptimal treatment, and lack
of follow-up care. This underscores the urgent need for dedicated heart failure
clinics that offer comprehensive, guideline-directed management,
multidisciplinary care, patient education, and structured follow-up — all
critical to improving outcomes, reducing hospitalizations, and enhancing
quality of life for Indian heart failure patients”— Dr. Ramesh Gudapati,
Joint Managing Director, STAR
Hospitals Group, Hyderabad.
Backed by Science, Driven by Hope
“Heart failure isn’t a single disease; it’s a spectrum. It ranges from
systolic failure (HFrEF), where the heart’s pumping ability is weakened, to diastolic
failure (HFpEF), where the heart becomes stiff and fails to fill properly. We
also see right-sided and congestive forms, each with unique causes and
treatments. The critical insight from my years in electrophysiology and
interventional cardiology is this: early diagnosis saves lives and improves
quality of life. When identified promptly in clinics or through screening,
patients can begin tailored therapies, lifestyle changes, and device support
before irreversible damage occurs. Evidence shows that timely, accurate
diagnosis is the gateway to effective interventions that improve prognosis and
reduce hospitalizations.”— Dr. Jagadeesh Babu Karusala, Sr. Consultant
Cardiac Electrophysiologist & Interventional Cardiologist, STAR Hospitals Group
Heart
Transplant: A Safe, Life-Restoring Miracle for End-Stage Patients
“For patients with end-stage heart failure, a heart
transplant can be nothing short of miraculous, offering a renewed lease on life
when all other treatments have failed.
In India, we perform around 90–100 heart transplants
annually, yet over 50,000 patients each year need this intervention, and only a
tiny fraction receive it.
For those who receive a transplant, the transformation is
profound. One-year survival rates reach 90%, and the average life expectancy
after transplant is approximately 12.5 years. Most patients can return to work
within 3 to 6 months, and by the end of the first year, many resume active,
fulfilling lives, even going for national and international vacations.
Patients often tell me that post-transplant, it’s as if
they’ve been given a second chance, not just to live, but to live well. Their
stories of returning to their families, careers, and passions are the most
powerful testament to why we strive for better organ donation and transplant
infrastructure.”— Dr. Suresh Yerra, Consultant - Advanced Heart Failure
& Transplant Cardiologist, STAR
Hospitals Group, Hyderabad.
During the clinic’s launch, heart transplant survivors and
chronic heart failure patients shared emotional stories of survival and
resilience, underscoring the life-changing impact of timely, structured care.
STAR Hospital’s multidisciplinary team now aims to lead India’s charge against
heart failure, combining clinical excellence with community outreach,
education, and early screening programs.
STAR Heart Failure
Clinic A chance to intervene early, save lives, and build a model that can
be replicated across India.