Programme stresses adopting preventive measures against heart disease
“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 Senior Instructor, Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) while speaking at a ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programme on ‘Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery' held at Aga Khan University (AKU) recently.
In his presentation on ‘Prevention of Heart Disease' he stressed the need for adopting preventive measures to avoid heart diseases as the treatment is too expensive for most people in Pakistan, who are unable to afford it. He said that 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 the four simple rules to help prevent any probable coronary disorders: increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in diet thereby 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.
The programme was also addressed by Dr Hasanat Sharif, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery at AKUH. In his presentation on ‘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 the muscle of the heart. Hence the time in seeking immediate medical attention is of critical importance.
Various therapies available in Pakistan including at AKUH are Emergent Bypass Surgery, performed for the myocardium 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 the deleterious effects of component therapy in both the short and long term.
The presentations were followed by an interactive question and answer session, with AKUH's Dr Sajid Dhakam, Associate Professor and Head of Cardiology and Dr Shahid Sami, Associate Professor and Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery participating as panelists.
As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised over 230 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Nawabshah, and the UAE, benefiting more than 45,000 people. AKUH's Patient Welfare Programme offers financial assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of treatment. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over PKR 1.6 billion has been disbursed to more than 300,000 needy patients.
For further information, please contact:
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University
Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi-74000.
Fax: 4934294, 4932095
www.aku.edu
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