Your heart works every second of your life, so when something feels wrong, you deserve answers quickly and from people who know exactly what they are looking at. The Cardiology department at Marengo Asia Hospitals brings together experienced cardiologists, interventional specialists, electrophysiologists, cardiac anaesthetists and critical care teams under one roof, so that diagnosis, treatment and recovery all follow one smooth, coordinated path.
We care for the full range of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy and hypertension. Whether you walk in for a routine heart check or arrive in the middle of an emergency, our teams are ready for you.
One symptom brings more people to a cardiologist than any other, and it is also the one most often misunderstood. That symptom is chest pain. The sections below explain what it can mean, when it is an emergency, and how we assess and treat it.
Chest pain is not always a heart problem. It can come from the muscles and ribs, the lungs, the food pipe, or even anxiety. But because a heart attack can look very similar to these everyday causes, chest pain should never be brushed aside until a doctor has ruled out the heart.
Heart-related chest pain, often called angina when it comes from reduced blood flow, is different for different people. Many describe it as:
Some patterns point away from the heart, although only a clinical assessment can say for certain. These include a sharp, stabbing pain that changes when you breathe deeply, twist, or press on the spot, pain that lasts only a few seconds, or a sour taste and burning that settles after an antacid. Even so, if you have risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, or a family history of heart disease, it is wiser to get checked than to guess.
Please treat chest pain as an emergency if it:
If any of these warning signs appear, do not wait to see if it passes. Call our emergency helpline or your nearest ambulance service straight away. Please do not drive yourself, and try not to let the person with symptoms drive either. Calling for an ambulance means treatment can begin on the way, and the hospital team can be ready before you arrive.
If your chest pain is mild, new, and not severe, but you are worried, book an appointment with one of our cardiologists soon. Early assessment is one of the best ways to prevent a heart attack from happening at all.
In a heart emergency, minutes determine how much heart muscle we can save. That is why we have built our cardiac emergency care around speed, clear protocols, and teamwork, so that nobody has to wonder what happens next.
Our Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with doctors and nurses trained to recognise cardiac emergencies the moment a patient arrives. Patients with chest pain are prioritised during triage, and an ECG is done quickly so that a heart attack is identified or ruled out without delay.
When a heart attack is suspected, the emergency physician, cardiologist, interventional cardiology team, cardiac anaesthetist, critical care specialists, nursing staff and diagnostic teams work together from the very first minutes. Our cardiac surgeons are part of the same system, so if a patient needs urgent surgery, care is handed over without delay.
Our cardiac care infrastructure is designed to move a patient from the door to treatment as smoothly as possible. This includes:
Preparedness is more than equipment. Our clinical teams are trained in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and regular mock drills and refresher sessions keep skills sharp. Written protocols guide every step, from triage and ECG timing to decisions about clot-busting medicines or emergency angioplasty, and these are reviewed regularly against recognised clinical guidelines and quality standards.
The result is simple. When a patient with a suspected heart attack reaches us, they are met by a team that has done this before, knows its role and is ready to act.
A heart attack happens when a blockage cuts off blood supply to part of the heart muscle. The longer the blockage stays, the more muscle is damaged. Recognising the signs early and acting on them is the single most powerful thing you can do.
Not every heart attack looks like the dramatic scene from a film. Women, older adults and people with diabetes are more likely to have subtle symptoms, such as breathlessness, fatigue, nausea, upper back or jaw pain, or a vague feeling of being unwell, with little or no chest pain. These signs are easy to put down to stress, age, or acidity, and that delay can be costly. If something feels truly out of the ordinary, trust that feeling and get help.
Once you reach the hospital, the aim is to open the blocked artery as quickly as possible. Depending on your condition, this may involve emergency coronary angiography followed by angioplasty and stenting, medicines that dissolve the clot, or, in some cases, bypass surgery. Early treatment limits damage to the heart, lowers the risk of complications such as heart failure and dangerous rhythm problems, and gives you the best chance of a full recovery.
After the emergency is over, our team continues to look after you with medicines, lifestyle guidance, cardiac rehabilitation and regular follow-up, because preventing the next event matters just as much as treating this one.
A heart attack and a cardiac arrest are not the same thing. In a heart attack, the heart is blocked but usually still beating. In a cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively; the person collapses and stops responding and breathing normally. Cardiac arrest is an emergency in which every second counts, and CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival when started early.
Inside our hospital, a cardiac arrest triggers an immediate emergency code. A trained resuscitation team reaches the patient within moments, begins high-quality chest compressions, uses a defibrillator when the heart rhythm needs it, secures the airway, and gives emergency medicines according to ACLS protocols. After the heart restarts, the patient is moved to intensive care for careful monitoring and further treatment.
You do not need to be a doctor to save a life. If you see someone collapse and not respond, follow these steps.
If you have not been trained in rescue breaths, hands-only CPR (compressions without breaths) is effective and much better than doing nothing. Do not worry about hurting the person. A broken rib is far less serious than a heart that has stopped.
Most cardiac arrests outside hospitals happen at home or at work, and the person who helps is usually a family member, friend or colleague. We encourage families, workplaces, schools and community groups to learn CPR. Speak to us about training sessions and awareness programmes at Marengo Asia Hospitals.
There is no single test that explains every kind of chest pain, so your cardiologist chooses tests based on your symptoms, age, risk factors and medical history. Many of these tests are quick, painless, and can be done on the same day.
Your doctor will explain why a particular test is needed, what it involves, and what the results mean for you, so you are never left guessing.
No. Chest pain can come from the muscles, ribs, lungs, stomach, or food pipe, and even from anxiety. However, the heart should always be ruled out first, particularly if the pain is pressing or squeezing, spreads to the arm or jaw, or comes with sweating or breathlessness.
A heart attack is caused by a blocked artery that reduces blood flow to the heart muscle, and the person is usually awake. A cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively, and the person collapses and does not respond. A heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest, which is why quick treatment matters so much.
It is possible. An ECG taken when you have no symptoms can look normal, even if there is a blockage. That is why your doctor may advise repeat ECGs, blood tests, a treadmill test, an echocardiogram or a CT scan, depending on your symptoms and risk factors.
Absolutely. Not smoking, eating a balanced diet low in saturated fat, staying active for about 150 minutes a week, keeping your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol in check, managing stress and getting regular check-ups can all lower your risk of heart disease significantly.
You can book an appointment through the Book an Appointment page on our website or message us on WhatsApp. You can also call our helpline number. If you need a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment plan, our cardiology team will be happy to review your reports and guide you.
When faced with complex medical treatments and options, you may seek a second opinion from another doctor, surgeon, or specialist.
