A health expert urged the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle which includes daily exercise, regular heart checkups and maintaining their weight in order to avoid heart-related deaths as the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is alarmingly on the rise globally, and in Pakistan as well.

A senior cardiologist, Major General (R) Azhar Mehmood Kayani advised the public that the risk of heart-related deaths can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle and urged them to regularly get their complete heart check-up to avoid possible heart attacks.

He emphasised the importance of raising awareness among the masses regarding cardiovascular disease and its prevention, adding that laziness and lack of outdoor activities are the root causes of heart disease.

He said people should adopt a healthy lifestyle as well as do exercise to protect themselves from cardiac diseases. Dr Kiyani said there is a dire need to take cardiac diseases seriously and work on their prevention, adding that diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and inactive lifestyle were major reasons for heart attacks.

In addition to genetic factors, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet, including consumption of fast food and oily foods were major risk factors for heart attacks, he said. “Obesity is the mother of most diseases, giving rise to hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,” he highlighted.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been recorded in high, middle, and low-income countries, he said, adding, that low and middle-income countries lack proper healthcare resources to combat the disease’s burden.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2024.