Thalassemia patients advised to prevent cardiac diseases

PESHAWAR: The Frontier Foundation Hematology Services arranged a function to mark World Heart and Thalassemia Day.

Sahibzada Muhammad Haleem, chairman of Frontier Foundation Hematology Services, presided over the function, said a press release on Monday.Besides the staff of the Frontier Foundation, including Administrator Dr Fakhar Zaman and others, parents of the thalassemia patients attended the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fakhar Zaman said that the heart was a vital organ of the body and that a healthy heart was a guarantee for a better life.He said that World Heart Day was an annual observance intended to increase public awareness of cardiovascular diseases, including their prevention and their global impact.

Dr Fakhar Zaman said cardiovascular diseases were the most common cause of death globally, and needed precautions to prevent cardiovascular diseases.He said the World Health Organisation had reported that over 10 million people died of cardiovascular diseases annually, which was the highest one among other ailments.

He said that heart and thalassemia diseases were interlinked as iron increased in most

thalassemia patients due to constant transfusion of blood, which always affected the functioning of the heart and liver and caused death in the patients because of cardiac arrest.

The speaker suggested that a patient suffering from thalassemia should be given medicines for decreasing iron in his body so that his heart remained healthy.The patient should also take a balanced diet, avoid smoking and exercise regularly to prevent heart diseases.

Dr Fakhar Zaman said that the patients should also undergo various medical tests, including echo, cholesterol, cardiac enzymes and T two-star MRI scan so to know the capacity and functioning of the heart.Later, a walk was held to raise awareness among the people.