• He added that adopting preventive measures could help reduce the risk of disease
• President highlighted that 25% of deaths in Pakistan were due to CVD
• He stressed the importance of educating the patients and the general public regarding preventive measures.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the need to create awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD) and adopt a healthy lifestyle to reduce the death rate due to heart diseases.

He added that adopting preventive measures could help reduce the risk of disease which would also decrease the burden on the national health care system.

The President made these remarks while addressing a symposium organized by an Islamabad-based private hospital to commemorate “World Heart Day – 2022”, at Aiwan-e-Sadr. This year World Heart Day is being commemorated with the theme of “Use Heart for Every Heart”.

Addressing the ceremony, the President highlighted that 25% of deaths in Pakistan were due to CVD and globally 18.6 million deaths were caused due to heart disease and stroke. He said that the main causes of CVD included hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, obesity and physical inactivity.

He stated that CVD could be prevented by changing the lifestyle; consuming a healthier diet consisting of legumes, fruits and vegetables; reducing red meat, fatty and deep-fried food consumption; quitting smoking, and playing sports. He stressed the importance of educating the patients and the general public regarding preventive measures.

He  said that Pakistan should also prioritize the mental health of its people, which was highly underserved due to the insufficient number of psychiatrists and mental health care providers. He underscored that our population faced different levels of stress and mental diseases which had a bearing on increased incidents of heart diseases in the country.

He urged society to good care of every individual’s mental health by reducing stress, avoiding and managing stressful events, eliminating hate and backbiting in our social conduct and spreading love and care for friends, family, neighbourhood, humanity and nature which would help reduce mental stress and impact of CVD.

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He said that congenital cardiovascular diseases were widespread which resulted in health conditions in infants and young children. He also called upon the health sector to simplify the treatment procedures of CVD so that marginalized and low-income strata of society could also benefit from such facilities.