President urges better diet to avoid cardiac issues

CVD diagnosis in youth leads to lengthy, costly treatment

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said dietary changes in lifestyle could prevent cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

He said this in his video link address to the 12th biennial conference of the Pakistan Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons held in Peshawar. He emphasised that preventive measures not only decreased the risk of disease but also reduced the burden on the national healthcare system.

He said cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were being diagnosed in young people while the treatment was becoming lengthy and unaffordable for the patients. Therefore consuming a healthy diet and quitting a sedentary lifestyle was essential to control cardiac diseases, he added.

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He recalled that the country made relentless and coordinated efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic extremely well. He emphasised adopting similar passion and targeted action to prioritise the prevention of CVDs. He stressed investing in the training and professional development of healthcare practitioners.

Moreover, he said cases of malnutrition and obesity were also being reported adding that it was state's responsibility to raise awareness about the intake of healthy diet.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2023.