Coronary artery diseases – leading cause of death in Pakistan

 WORLD HEART DAY

At least 12 Pakistani die every hour due to heart attack

Rawalpindi

An estimated 30 to 40 per cent of all deaths in Pakistan are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) that claim not less than 200,000 lives every year in the country while coronary heart disease is now the leading cause of death in Pakistan and at least 12 Pakistani die every hour due to heart attack.

According to health experts, the global epidemic of cardiovascular diseases is not only increasing but also shifting from developed to developing countries.

Sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, consumption of junk food and excessive smoking among country’s youth is the reason why people are developing heart disease in their early 40s. Modern society can expose children to risk factors such as diets with too few calories and high in ‘bad’ fats and sugar (junk foods, sodas); activities like computer games that discourage physical activity; tobacco advertising that encourages tobacco use or environments filled with second hand tobacco smoke.

More and more people are turning to processed foods that are often high in sugar, salt, saturated fats like cheese or Trans fats (often used in cakes, cookies and fast food). Research makes it clear that abnormal blood lipid (fat) levels have a strong correlation with the risk of coronary artery diseases, heart attack and coronary death.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World Heart Day being observed on Thursday (today) around the globe.

He added that synthetic oils being used in junk food and baked goods, especially by some foreign companies, are working like a slow poison exposing consumers to complicated cardiac diseases. In Pakistan, the intake of salt is already very high as compared to the rest of the world, as it is used not only in cooking curries but also in baking chapattis (Roti) and bread and in certain areas people also use it to flavour tea and ‘Qahwa’, he said.

World Heart Day was founded in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death claiming 17.5 million lives each year.

World Heart Day is an annual event which takes place on September 29 every year. Each year’s celebrations have a different theme, reflecting key issues and topics related to heart health. This year, the theme is ‘Creating heart-healthy environments’. The places in which we live, and work and play can have a huge effect on our ability to make the right choices for our heart-health. Everyone has the right to make heart-healthy choices wherever we live, work and play.

Slogan for this year is ‘Power your life’. Your heart powers your whole body. It lets you love, laugh and live your life to the full. That is why it is important to look after it, said Dr. Ashraf.

He added the major risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke are tobacco use, alcohol use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress and unhealthy diets. The more risk factors you have, the greater is the likelihood that you will suffer heart disease, unless you take action to modify your risk factors and work to prevent them compromising your health, he said.

Doing work in a hurry, becoming angrier and sleeping less than 6-8 hours may be harmful for your heart, he added.

In a country like Pakistan, the addition of other risk factors like tension due to extra burden or pressure at work place, domestic disputes due to poverty or low income and unhealthy lifestyles are also playing part, said Dr. Ashraf.

He added stress is an established risk factor for heart disease. Stress leads to persistently high levels of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol and has also been linked to changes in the way blood clots.

To a query, he said obese people are multiple times greater at risk of heart attack, hypertension and atherosclerosis. Keep track of your Body Mass Index (BMI). If your BMI is above 25, you are overweight, he said.

He added patients with diabetes and blood pressure diseases should take extra care as these diseases may lead them to heart diseases. “Other risk factors linked to heart diseases are tooth loss, gum disease, synthetic oils, high salt intake, skipping breakfast, eating very late at night, fasting-than-normal heart rate (tachycardia), and male-pattern of baldness (complete loss of hair on top of head), urbanization, poverty and lack of awareness.”

He added that we need to protect the future generation against heart disease and stroke, by encouraging and enabling heart-healthy living from early life as the behavior of today’s children will affect the future generation of heart disease and stroke.

Move your heart. Even 30 minutes moderate-intensity activity five times per week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke and keeps your heart young, said Dr. Ashraf.

He explained that physical activity does not need to exercise. Other activities such as doing household chores count – spend the day gardening or ask the children to help with the cleaning; playing outdoor games with the children, taking stairs, cycling to work etc. Being active is beneficial to your blood pressure, blood lipid levels, blood glucose levels, blood clotting factors, the health of blood vessels and inflammation. Make exercise a part of your life, he said.

To a query, he said a heart–healthy diet which is rich in fruits, fish, nuts, wholegrain cereals and vegetables helps prevent heart disease and stroke. Limit salt intake to less than five grams per day. Use cooking oils for cooking and avoid ghee. Avoid use of processed and prepackaged foods which are often high in sugar and fat. Swap sweet, sugary treats for fresh fruit as a healthy alternative and say ‘no’ to soda, he said.

He suggested that every week, you should include three to five servings of nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts etc.) in your diet. Eat two servings of fish per week. Beans and flaxseeds or oils are also good for heart.

Dr. Ashraf is of the view that in school canteens, healthy diets such as fruits and vegetables and simple water need to be promoted and junk foods such as burgers, pizzas, and sodas should be banned.

Love your heart and say “no” to tobacco. Tobacco in every form is very harmful to health. If you smoke and started smoking while still a child, your risk of cardiovascular disease is much higher than someone who started as an adult, he said.

He explained that an estimated one out of five deaths from heart disease is directly linked to smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes raises your blood pressure and shoots your heart rate. It is crucial to ban smoking in your home to protect your families’ future. Educate children on the dangers of tobacco use, to help them to choose not to smoke themselves. Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve heart health, said Dr. Ashraf.