Nurture a healthy heart to live wisely

The prevalence of CVD in Pakistan is due to our sedentary lifestyle, increased consumption of inorganic and fatty food

World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29 to remind the public about the importance of keeping our hearts in good shape.

Metaphorically, the heart connects us with our surroundings and the Almighty. It all flows from the heart. The purification of the heart is obtained both spiritually and physically. What we eat affects the flesh part of the heart, and what we think affects its spiritual side. So, if tobacco blackens the arteries, stress tightens them to hamper the smooth flow of blood, putting in peril the very survival of the heart. One has to be goodhearted and at peace with oneself to live longer and healthier.

Every year 18.6 million people die of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) globally, caused by smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, air pollution, Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis.

Asia has the highest number of patients with CVD. Of the 18.6 million CVD deaths worldwide in 2019, 58% occurred in Asia. Nearly 39% of these deaths were premature.

According to research published in the Journals of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): “The increasing CVD epidemics in Asia are likely the consequence of complex effects from changes in socioeconomics, living environments, lifestyles, prevalence of CVD risk factors and absence of capacities to prevent and treat CVD.”

In Pakistan, the CVD mortality is 152 per 100,000 population (22.7%), translating to about 200,000 deaths annually.

The JACC report tells us that dietary changes from traditional Asian to westernised food have had a detrimental effect on the health of Asians living in resource-deficit countries. A recent publication in the Global Burden of Disease provides further insight into food patterns in Asia: for the five unhealthy foods — red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans-fats, and sodium — all Asian regions consumed the most sugar-sweetened beverages and sodium. Among the 20 most populous countries, China has the highest age-standardised rate of diet-related CVD deaths (299 per 100,000 population) while Pakistan has the highest proportion of diet-related CVD deaths (152 per 100,000 population).

Prof Nawaz Lashari, Chair of Cardiology at Dow University, stresses healthy physical activity for cardiac health, advising 45-minute walk daily. Pakistan Hypertension League General Secretary Dr Mohammad Ishaq says exercise strengthens the heart. According to Dr Ishaq, 20% of Pakistan’s population suffers from high blood pressure, 10% has diabetes, and 30% is obese. “These ailments lead to heart diseases,” he warns.

In the context of World Heart Day, a leading pharmaceutical company has arranged special events in Karachi, lighting up the city’s landmark buildings in red in collaboration with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. The events will commemorate World Heart Day and pay tribute to frontline healthcare workers, including cardiologists working tirelessly to save lives during Covid-19.

The company has worked with Cardiology institutes throughout Pakistan to introduce cost-effective and efficacious treatments for blood pressure, cholesterol, angina, and heart failure, as well as world-class medical devices for cardiac interventions.

The high prevalence of CVD in Pakistan is mainly the result of our sedentary lifestyle, increased consumption of inorganic and fatty food, coupled with stress and genetic factors. While increasingly effective medicines and devices are continually being introduced, there is absolutely no substitute for prevention through exercise and a healthy diet. Ignoring such preventive measures increases the burden of heart disease and the cost of healthcare in Pakistan.

Experts insist we have to change our way of thinking and our approach to public health if we want to help people live longer and healthy lives. In this respect, public policy interventions guided by experts in the fields of preventive cardiology and public health, including education and awareness campaigns, should be conducted regularly to motivate people to exercise and eat healthy food. Only preventive measures can reduce the burden of disease and reduce the excessive reliance on medicine.

On this World Health Day, let us resolve to nurture a heart clean of impurities of food and thought because, as Charles Dickens said, “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2021.

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