SHIKARPUR - Noted cardiac electrophysiology expert Dr Sajid Ali Shaikh has said that 80 percent of the world heart patients existed in South Asia because the people of the region have narrow blood arteries.
Talking to a delegation of Older People Organization, formed by inter Global human Development Society, in Wazir Abad Union Council here on Saturday, he said that fats begin to accumulate in the arteries since 2 years of age, adding that unhealthy lifestyle was one of the major reasons behind sharp increase in heart patients in the region.
Dr Shaikh, who is also Assistant Professor Cardiac electrophysiology at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), said 60 out of 100 heart patients were brought to the hospitals in serious conditions while the remaining 40 patients died on the road because most of the people do not have the idea about the symptoms of heart attack and angina.
He said the ratio of deaths from cardiac arrest could be minimised by adopting preventive measures. Hypertension, diabetes, smoking, use of alcohol, physical inactivity and stress are the most common causes of increasing heart diseases in the country, which could be avoided through balanced diet, exercise and regular check-up, he said.
He said that nearly 80,000 deaths from heart diseases could be avoided annually in Pakistan through preventive measures.
In NICVD Sukkur, he informed the electrophysiology lab facilities is being facilitated to thousands number of patients requiring pacemakers, ICDs and other implants and angioplasties from northern Sindh, southern Punjab and the entire Balochistan province.
Dr Sajid Shaikh said that the mortality rate in emergency department of the hospital was less than 1 percent and in surgical department, not more than 2 percent to 3 percent. Only reason behind the success is state-of-the-art facilities, well-trained staff, availability of required medicines and modern techniques applied by the Institute, he added.
The NICVD Sukkur has became one of the best cardiac-care hospitals in Pakistan where patients even from New York and London has came for quality cardiac treatment without any charge, Dr Sajid informed.
He also urged the national and local media to create awareness about heart disease, which was now the leading cause of death amongst the Pakistanis.