Lahore hospitals reported 30% increase in heart attack patients during Ramazan last year

Mayo Hospital doctor advises people to avoid overeating, increase fluid intake during Ramazan

LAHORE: Heavy consumption of fried foods may trigger heart attacks and increase risk of diabetes and blood pressure. People should avoid overeating.

These views were expressed by Dr Khizer Hayat of Mayo Hospital in a conversation with The Express Tribune on Monday.

He said the city hospitals had reported a 30 percent increase in heart attack patients during the holy month of Ramazan last year.



He said instead of learning to better control their appetites, most people ended up indulging in overeating and gaining weight during Ramazan. “People can stay healthy and avoid heart related complications with only a little awareness and a few precautionary measures,” he said.

He said fasting during summer weather could cause thickening of blood. This could increase the chances of blood clotting causing strokes or heart attacks, he added.

“Dehydration can cause an electrolyte imbalance in the body. This can also lead to heart-related complications,” he said.

He advised that people drink plenty of water before their sehr meal and avoid eating fried or high-calorie foods at iftar. “One can avoid the risk of a heart attack by reducing consumption of salt and eating more fruits and vegetables,” he said.



He suggested that instead of eating a heavy meal at iftar time food intake should be broken down into two or three small meals after iftar. He said people with chronic heart ailments, diabetes and hypertension and those who take medicines regularly for some health condition should consult their physicians before deciding to fast. He said that those with diabetes and hypertension may need to adjust their medicine doses during Ramazan.

Dr Hayat said as compared to most other countries the incidence of premature coronary heart disease was very high in Pakistan due to genetic reasons. He said smoking was a major reason for increase in the incidence of heart disease among the population aged between 30 and 50 years. “Unfortunately, we don’t have comprehensive data for heart patients in Pakistan. It is believed that every other person in the 50 years and above age group in Pakistan suffers from some kind of heart ailment,” he said.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2016.