A medical research on cardiac complications declared diabetes, smoking and hypertension the major causes of heart attacks in Pakistan. A four year study conducted at Cardiac Surgery Department of Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) and Jinnah Hospital revealed that diabetes, smoking, hypertension and cholesterol were major causes of heart ailments among the patients of all age groups in the country.
Studies throughout the world have proved the causality of the above mentioned diseases with cardiac complications; however, the study conducted by AIMC is the first of its kind conducted by Pakistani health professionals using native population as the sample. Sources in AIMC said between February 2008 and January 2012, a total of 608 cardiac patients were treated at Jinnah Hospital. All of the 273 patients who were operated on were suffering from diabetes, smoked, were hypertensive and were on medication for keeping in check their cholesterol levels.
The study found that children between ages of five to 20 frequented the hospital complaining of heart complications which were traced back to their birth.
Symptoms of heart complications developed due to lifestyles choices precipitate between 30-60 years and almost all bypass patients were between the ages of 40 to 80.
AIMC Cardiac Professor Dr Tayyab said the hospital had a 99.50 percent success rate in open heart surgeries, the highest in Pakistan. He added that AIMC Principal Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood had approached the government to allocate funds for expansion of the cardiac ward.
