Cycling rally peddles ideas for healthy lifestyle

KARACHI:

With a concerning rise in heart attacks and cardiac deaths among younger adults, the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is calling for urgent lifestyle changes through its World Heart Day campaign, titled 'Heart Over Habit' — a movement encouraging people to break harmful routines and embrace heart-healthy living.

Cardiovascular diseases, once considered illnesses of old age individuals, are increasingly affecting people in their 30s and 40s, spurred by sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, smoking, unmanaged stress and the absence of regular check-ups. In response to this alarming trend, AKUH, in collaboration with Docs On Wheels and the wider cycling community, organised a series of public awareness events to inspire healthier choices and encourage preventive action.

AKU Health Services Pakistan CEO, Prof Dr Farhat Abbas stated, "the rising number of cardiac events among younger adults is a reminder that heart disease is shaped by the choices we make."

Further, he emphasised that "Heart Over Habit urges us to stay active, eat well, manage stress and address risks like smoking and high blood pressure, because prevention is far more powerful than treatment."

To launch the World Heart Day celebrations, the Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery at AKUH hosted a vibrant Mini Marathon on September 21. Leaders, faculty, students and staff walked side by side, in red, to send a clear message: it is time to put Heart Over Habit, stay active and make lasting investments in heart health. AKUH also held a World Heart Day cycling ride, which brought together doctors, nurses, students and members of the city's cycling community, for a collective ride from the AKU Sports and Rehabilitation Centre to Boat Basin. The event symbolised the journey from harmful habits to healthier choices, highlighting the importance of physical activity in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Cardiothoracic Surgeon at AKUH, Prof Dr Saulat Fatimi explained, "heart disease often remains silent until it becomes life-threatening. We see many patients who could have saved themselves from angioplasty or bypass surgery with earlier lifestyle changes and regular screenings."