A champion cardiologist at the Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute (JKCI) has said that within three minutes a person can save the life of a person whose heart has suddenly stopped and continue to live.

Dr. Khuzeima Khanbhai said that among the sources of cardiac arrest are problems with the electrical system of the heart, blocked blood vessels, lifestyle including alcohol consumption and smoking.

"There is a person who has a problem with the electrical system of the heart which is either high or low, meaning that the heart beats abnormally fast or beats abnormally slowly, the possibility of having a problem with the heart stopping is high," said Dr. Khuzeima and added;

"When the heart has any problem, whether it is due to alcohol consumption, clogged arteries, and a bad lifestyle that includes bad nutrition and high-fat foods, you increase the possibility of the heart stopping suddenly."

He said you can save the patient's life from the problem within three minutes from the moment the situation occurs by laying him on his back and start giving him the first aid of shock by compressing the chest with your hands so that you can continue working.

"The first CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) has shown that when done correctly, it saves the patient's life by more than 95 percent within the right time immediately after someone has the problem," said Dr. Khuzeima.

He said CPR first aid should be taught from school to home so that many people know how to help a patient to save his life.

Dr. Khuzeima said that when the heart stops suddenly, it means that the blood is not sent to its areas, including the brain, lungs and other areas, so when the patient is undergoing CPR, it helps to shock him and the blood will continue to flow, so he can recover.

He said that a study by American doctors in 2017 showed that out of 100,000 people, 74 people have a heart problem that suddenly stops outside the hospital and one out of seven people dies of that problem.

He mentioned that the symptoms of a person experiencing this problem are a few seconds before the heart suddenly stops, it is dizziness, sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or hearing nausea.

Talking about how drinking alcohol and smoking contribute to heart disease in young people, he said there is a study they did at Muhimbili National Hospital Mloganzila Branch in 2019/2020.

Dr. Khuzeima said the results of the study showed that many young people are now having a stroke than the elderly because they have high blood pressure.