Regular checkup a must to avoid heart attacks

One of the leading causes of death among adults in this part of the world where we live is heart diseases which are the greatest public health challenges of our time. “They are very common, costly and deadly. People should regularly get their heart checked in order to avoid cardiac problems,” said senior consultant, cardiologist and head of Shifa International Hospital’s Cardiology Division, Dr Habibur Rahman, while addressing the participants of a seminar organised by Shifa International Hospital to celebrate World Heart Day here on Tuesday.
Cardiac Surgeon Dr Tauqeer Akbar also gave his presentation on new technology in cardiac surgery. Senior consultants, physicians, surgeons, post-graduate trainees, medical students, patients and a large number of people from all walks of life attended the informatory seminar to mark the day. Later, a panel of cardiac experts also gave answers to different queries of patients and the audience during a question-answer session.
While speaking on the topic of ‘atherosclerosis’, a disease in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol, Dr Habib underlined the need to keep blood cholesterol level under control. He said a specific amount of cholesterol was necessary for a human body, but when it exceeded the required level, it created atherosclerotic plaques. He told the audience that additional cholesterol resulted in producing atherosclerotic plaque that narrowed human arteries. Resultantly, the plaques hampered smooth blood flow and caused blood clots in arteries.
He urged the masses to keep a check on their blood cholesterol level. He said if one had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking habit with low or minimal physical activity and excessive salt intake, he or she was on a high risk and he or she must change lifestyle and dietary habits to avoid serious complications. Dr Habib was of the view that patients should regularly consult their physicians and also get a diet plan to keep their cholesterol level and blood pressure under control.
He opined one should be very careful in consuming fats and salt as they were the two main causes of increasing cholesterol level and blood pressure.
Cardiac Surgeon Dr Tauqeer Akbar,in his presentation on new technology in cardiac surgery, said that with the current drive to minimise access and the size of surgical incision, there had been new advances in cardiac surgery where a cardiac surgeon performed an operation using endoscopic technology. “In addition, robotic cardiac surgery was becoming more and more common in the world. It is currently not available in Pakistan, but is going to be introduced in not too distanced future as minimal access and the size of surgical incision is becoming more popular in the region due to its unique advantages,” Dr Tauqeer said.
Later, a specially prepared diet plan for cardiac patients by Shifa’s nutrition and dietetic department was also distributed among the audience. Coupons for free blood cholesterol test were also distributed among the first hundred participants of the seminar. They were advised to come with fasting on the mentioned date for free cholesterol test.