Dr Rajesh Rajan: The harbinger of heart health

Dr Rajesh Rajan has dedicated much of his medical career towards clinical cardiology and research in heart failure. His undying devotion towards better healthcare is evident from a number of achievements, and recognition that he has received in his field of cardiology. 

Born in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India to Koodal Rajan A.V., an advocate, and P.N Vasanthamma, a teacher, Dr Rajan eventually went on to study Medicine from RUDN University in 2003. Following his interest in cardiovascular diseases, he acquired a fellowship in Cardiovascular Surgery from Bakulev Scientific Center of Cardiovascular Surgery in 2005. By the time he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology from Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Dr Rajan’s life trajectory was set, as he also acquired a Ph. D in cardiology from RUDN University. When he relocated to Kuwait in 2013, Dr Rajan continued his research in heart failure and cardiorenal anemia syndrome. 

Dr Rajan has the credit of inventing Rajan’s Heart Failure Risk Score or (R-HF Risk Score). This is a new prognostic risk predicting calculator efficient for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). While using this tool, physicians will need to enter only four variables to calculate the risk score. The online version of our heart failure risk score calculator will be available at https://www.hfriskcalc.in.

Dr Rajan, along with his colleague Kotevski, also proposed a new classification for single coronary artery (SCA): Rajan's and Kotevski TYPE-IV (R-IV-C) modified Lipton's classification. It was defined as type-IV quadfurcation of a single coronary artery from the right aortic sinus. 

The Government of India officially invited Dr Rajan as the national president of Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists (IACC) for a high-power meeting to take decision on cardiac stent prices back in 2018. Dr Rajan advocated for the price reduction strongly, and his requests were implemented during a meeting in Delhi at NPPA headquarters held recently. 

Some of Dr Rajan’s academic achievements include fellowships from the Royal College of Physicians London, Edinburgh, Glasgow & Ireland, European Society of Cardiology, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association.  

Dr Rajesh Rajan is the Founder President and Chairman Board of Governors of the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists, representing the nation's clinical cardiologists to the federal government. He has also been a participant in the Indo-Soviet Cardiology Research Project of KIMS Hospital and RUDN University. His research has been featured in noted national and international medical journals.

Published on: Thursday, April 06, 2023, 06:55 PM IST