Symposium on Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases  
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death and disability world-wide. However, the developing world is experiencing a phenomenal rise in the incidence of such diseases, with seven million deaths occurring annually. Recognising the urgent need for effective preventive strategies in Pakistan and the region, AKU selected cardio­respiratory diseases as the theme for its annual research symposium, held on September 25-26, 2000. It was followed by a week-long workshop on Molecular Biology.

Dr Abdul Malik Kasi (left), Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Health, Government of Pakistan, discussing research on local disease patterns with Dr Khawar Kazmi, Chief of Cardiology, AKU.

The chief guest, Dr. Abdul Malik Kasi, Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Health, Government of Pakistan, said that "We need to learn from the experiences of the West, but must customize and tailor these according to our environment. This requires the development of research to understand local disease patterns.... Health care providers, both in the public and private sector will need to work together to meet the challenge."

In his address, Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, President, AKU, noted that the University has always been conscious of its responsibilities towards the community. He said, cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor in developing and aggravating heart and lung diseases. AKU wishes to expand its role in building a smoke free society. Therefore, the whole of AKU will be smoke free by 2001."

Data presented during the first session, which focused on cardiovascular diseases, emphasised that modifications of behaviour through modest lifestyle changes are pivotal in decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. In his presentation at the inaugural session, Dr. Andrew lgnaszewski from the University of British Columbia, Canada, highlighted some of the risk factors associated with a marked increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. These include cigarette smoking, a high cholesterol and fat diet, hypertension and physical inactivity. He noted that stopping smoking could reduce the risk of deaths by up to 50%. Lowering cholesterol intake by 10% and maintaining it for life would reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 50%, if it happened by the age of 40. Other lifestyle changes that significantly impact prevention include 30-60 minutes of exercise three to four times a week, weight loss and stress reduction. He emphasised that focusing on prevention is also the more cost-effective option in Pakistan, where resources and access to medical facilities are limited.

Other speakers included Dr. Iqbal Bata and Dr. Blair O'Neil, both from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, who presented an update on the management of acute coronary syndrome and unstable angina. They highlighted the benefits of early intervention in high risk patients.

The second day of the Symposium concentrated on pulmonary diseases. Invited speakers included Dr. R. Hegele from the University of British Columbia, Dr. Hasan Arshad from St. Mary's Hospital in Southampton, UK, and Dr. Peter J. Rees from Guy's Hospital in London. They presented their research and updates on mechanisms of viral induced lung injury, pathogenesis of asthma and advances in asthma therapy, respectively.

Dr. Saulat Fatimi from AKU discussed new techniques in the field of thoracic surgery. He described his experience on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) performed on patients at the University Hospital. The first ever workshop in Pakistan on 'non-invasive ventilation' was also organised to introduce this new advance in the field of ventilation management. This technique has the potential of saving critically ill patients with respiratory failure without the need of ICU beds, and has been successfully used at AKU.

The Symposium provided an excellent opportunity for national and international scientists and researchers to share their work and experiences, and create linkages to promote research in the country. For the first time in Pakistan, separate sessions were allocated to research undertaken by medical students from several medical universities in Karachi. AKU remains committed to providing an enabling environment in which to conduct research into areas of particular relevance to Pakistan and the region.