Coronary artery disease number one killer worldwide

 “Coronary artery disease is widely recognised as the number one killer worldwide. It is rapidly increasing in countries like Pakistan”. This was stated by Dr Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan, Consultant Cardiologist and Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH,K) while speaking at a ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' (SSC) programme on ‘Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery' held at Quetta.

His presentation on ‘Prevention of Heart Disease' stressed the need for adopting preventive measures to avoid heart diseases as the treatment is too expensive for most people in Pakistan. Prevention is possible and not difficult, though one should be aware of the risk factors that can lead to heart diseases: high cholesterol levels, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.

The golden rule is to follow four simple rules to help prevent any probable coronary disorders: increasing intake of fruits and vegetables in diet and avoiding foods rich in saturated fats and transfats; walking regularly for 30 to 45 minutes daily; cessation of smoking; and regular monitoring of blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels.

Consultant cardiologist from Karachi shared the results of a two-year follow-up study of 277 heart attack patients who had angioplasty at AKUH,K. It was found that survival rates of heart attack victims after Angioplasty at AKUH,K was 97.9 per cent, an outcome almost identical to developed countries in the West.

AKUH,K team at the session included Dr Hasanat Sharif, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, who focused on the ‘Advancements in Heart Surgery'. He described the heart as a pump and said that lack of blood supply during a major cardiac event can cause the affected portion of the heart muscle to die. This can lead to death of the individual or weakening of heart muscle. Hence time in seeking immediate medical attention is of critical importance.

A recent study at AKUH,K has found that heart attack patients took a median time of 160 minutes to arrive at hospital. This is an ‘unacceptable delay', and there is a need for more educational programmes to ensure that patients suffering from a heart attack recognise their symptoms and come to a hospital as early as possible.

Advancements in Cardiac Surgery at AKUH,K include various therapies including Emergent Bypass Surgery, performed for myocardium on those who are  at risk of dying from a heart attack; Beating Heart Surgery, for complex and critical patients for whom physicians do not recommend conventional cardiac surgery; Arterial Revascularisation, for limiting morbidity and increasing durability of grafts leading to better clinical outcomes after bypass surgery, and Bloodless Surgery, which limits blood transfusion related complications.

As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment of creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, Aga Khan University Hospital organises health awareness programmes. The Hospital has organised over 250 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta and the UAE, benefiting more than 50,000 people. Similarly, AKUH's Patient Welfare Programme reaches out to patients by providing assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of their treatment. 73 per cent of all patients treated at the AKUH are from low- to middle-income areas. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over PKR 1.6 billion has been disbursed to more than 300,000 needy patients.