95% of Pakistanis have high blood lipid levels, doctors warn

High blood lipid levels are contributing to the rising incidence of cardiovascular disease in Pakistan, with medical experts warning that unhealthy dietary habits are increasingly putting young people at risk.

Prof Muhammad Nawaz Lashari, secretary general of the Lipid Society of Pakistan and a professor at Dow University of Health Sciences, said on Sunday that a study had found excessively high blood lipid levels in 95% of the population.

Addressing a press conference on October 10, he said heart disease was increasingly being reported among school and university students, partly because of changing dietary patterns and greater consumption of fatty foods and fast food.

Lashari said a digital application was being developed for the first time in Pakistan to raise awareness about cholesterol and explain the difference between good and bad cholesterol. The application will be available in English, Urdu and Sindhi.

The experts said excessive cholesterol and other blood fats could accumulate in arteries, restrict blood flow and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. They attributed the growing incidence of cardiovascular disease among younger people partly to a shift away from traditional home-cooked meals towards foods rich in fat.

Cardiologist Prof Muhammad Ishaq, Dr Akram Sultan, Prof Abdul Rashid, Prof Khalida Soomro, Prof Rafiq Memon, Prof Jameel Ahmed, Dr Ghulam Abbas, Dr Shabbir Muhammad and Dr Dil Bahar Ali Asad were also present at the press conference.

The doctors said many people remained unaware of their cholesterol levels, despite the availability of a simple blood test known as a lipid profile. The test measures different types of blood fats, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol; low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol; and triglycerides.

They recommended regular screening, suggesting that people undergo a lipid profile every six months, while emphasising that testing frequency should be guided by individual risk factors and medical advice.

The experts urged the public to adopt balanced diets, exercise regularly and reduce their consumption of fried and fatty foods. They stressed that early identification of risk factors, timely medical assessment and treatment where necessary could help reduce heart attacks, strokes and premature deaths.