ISLAMABAD, Oct 1 (APP): A health expert on Sunday urged the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle including daily exercise, regular heart checkups and maintaining their weight in order to avoid heart-related deaths as the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is alarmingly on the rise globally including Pakistan.
A senior Cardiologist, Major General (R) Azhar Mehmood Kayani talking to a PTV news channel advised the public that the risk of heart-related deaths can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle and urged them to regularly get their complete heart check-up to avoid possible heart attacks.
He urged to raise awareness among the masses regarding cardiovascular disease and its prevention, adding that laziness and lack of outdoor activities are the root causes of heart disease.
He said people should adopt a healthy lifestyle as well as take exercise to protect themselves from cardiac diseases at bay.
Dr Kiyani said there is a dire need to take cardiac diseases seriously and work on their prevention, adding that diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and inactive lifestyle were major reasons for heart attacks.
The incidence of cardiovascular disease was on the rise among young Pakistani males and now a large number of people below the age of 40 years were being brought to emergency sections of cardiac health facilities with heart attacks, which was an extremely alarming situation, he mentioned.
“A large number of people aged between 25 and 40 years are now having heart attacks in Karachi and the rest of the country due to sedentary lifestyle and other risk factors,” he added.
In addition to genetic factors, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet, including fast food and heavily oily food consumed in Pakistan were major risk factors for heart attacks, he said.
“Obesity is the mother of most of the diseases, giving rise to hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,” he highlighted.
CVDs have been recorded in high, middle, and low-income countries, he said, adding, that low and middle-income countries lack proper healthcare resources to combat the disease burden.
Replying to a query, he said heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, adding, that treatment for heart disease is costly and it is vital to give up unhealthy habits to avoid it.
