Pakistan Cardiac Society (PCS) General Secretary Prof. Syed Ishtiaq Rasool Tuesday said that more than 80 per cent premature deaths could be avoided annually by educating the masses about healthy life style. He expressed these views while speaking in the press conference on the occasion of World Heart Day held here at Karachi Press Club.
The World Heart Day is celebrated each year on September 29 to create awareness about the cardiovascular diseases among the masses as this is number one killer of the mankind globally after accidental deaths. It is estimated that more than 18.6 million people die globally each year due to cardiovascular diseases. It is also considered as number one killer of mankind in non-communicable diseases.
Pointing out few tips, he told that complete cessation of smoking and use of all types of tobacco, as its use leads to many diseases like heart diseases, cancers of different organ of the body, mental instabilities. He suggested to adopt physical activity and do exercise at least 150-minutes brisk walk or strenuous exercise of 75 minutes per week.
It is well known fact that physical inactivity leads to weight gain which in turn causes diabetes mellitus, hypertension, joint pains, depression and cognitive problems and different typed of cancers like uterine in females and colonic. All above mentioned disease can be avoided or controlled only by active life style, he opined. The healthy and balanced diet should be stressed upon for better livings. In this regards, children especially females must be taught about proper diet, the professor said.
On the occasion, Treasurer Pakistan Cardiac Society, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Khan said that complete restorations of playing grounds, Parks and recreational places to improve physical and mental health.
Legislation should be implemented in letter and spirit that no School or any educational institution should be allowed to run without provision of proper grounds and recreational areas. Physical and Mental Competitive activities must be a compulsory part of curriculum.
Media electronic or print should promote awareness about different diseases’ especially cardiovascular at their prime times in collaboration with Pakistan Cardiac and other societies, he urged.
Chief Editor Pakistan Heart Journal, Prof. Tariq Ashraf told that In May 2012, world leaders decided and committed to control the mortality of non-communicable diseases at least by 25 per cent by 2025, as more than half of theses disease are secondary to cardiovascular in origin.
World Heart Day is actually a world-wide campaign, on this day different medical societies, communities, families, individuals and governments departments participate and hold many different activities to get awareness about the causes and management with special stress on prevention of cardiovascular diseases, he articulated.
Hence, it provides a common platform to the public to fight against these deadly cardiovascular ailments, he told, saying that this day was created in 1999 by World Heart federation (WHF) in collaboration of World Health organization (WHO) by then president of WHF Antoni Bayés de Luna.
Each year, this day is celebrated under a theme or slogan, this year the theme is Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally is our goal for Word Heart Day 2021.
On this day, different activities are carried out, like awareness walk, seminars and symposia, sports and talks. WHF celebrates this event in more than 100 countries globally, he recounted.
