People Should Start Prevention of Heart Diseases From their Home

Introduction cum profile: Prof. Muhammad Azhar head of the Institution and Chief Cardiologist at Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) is an internationally acclaimed cardiologist and academician. He has more than 30 years experience of practicing cardiology and has more than fifty publications in national and international journals to his credit.

He has developed new Cardiology Centers i.e. Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan and Faislabad Institute of Cardiology. He has also contributed in improving the infrastructure at PIC, Lahore. Prof. Azhar is an internationally acclaimed interventional cardiologist and has so far performed thousands of angiographies and angioplasties including high risk interventions in patients on Intra aortic balloon pump (IABP).

Furthermore, he was one of the radiant graduates of 1979 and was awarded with the Goodwin prize in Cardiology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Willfully, Prof. Muhammad Azhar through his achievements, distinctions and contribution in the field of Cardiology is acknowledged nationally and internationally.

Jahangir’s World Times: ‘One World, One Home and One Heart’ would you please elaborate this theme for our readers?

Prof. Azhar: Actually, heart diseases are getting more and more common especially in the developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted that in 2030 there will be 58 million deaths per year from heart diseases in the world and majority of them will be found in the developing countries. Therefore, they started to celebrate one day 29th September to inform people that we should protect ourselves from the future increase in the level of heart disease. In fact, the prevention of heart disease is very cheap and very simple but the treatment is very expensive and very difficult too. So, our efforts should be concentrated on the prevention of heart disease.

Now the above mentioned theme of world Heart day means that people should start prevention of heart diseases from their home and the best time of prevention starts from childhood. In fact, after the age of five years we should teach the children at home including all family members that they should take healthy and balanced diet. Especially, Children above 5 years should be encouraged to do more exercise and should be encourage seeing less TV & video games etc. Apart from children whole family members should be encouraged to do physical activities. Contrary to this, what we do in Pakistan if a person who gets sick with a heart disease then his food is made separated but all other members of family eat bad food. Thus, this theme contains the message that on should start prevention from heart disease from his or her home.

JWT: What is ‘Heart attack’? Please tell us different types of ‘Heart Attack’?
P A: Basically, heart attack means interruption of blood supply for the heart because heart is a mechanical pump and it makes blood to work and if we can make a pump then we don’t need heart. That is why, there are many research in the world is going on to make an artificial heart and it would be a huge breakthrough in the field of medical science. As I said heart is a pump so, it requires a blood supply to perform its functions and three arteries are main source of blood supply to the heart; and if one artery blocks due to cholesterol or blood clot so, the stoppage of blood supply is called ‘heart attack’.

In addition, I would say heart attack is of one kind only i.e. stoppage of blood supply to heart no matter it is due to blockade of small artery or big artery.

If it is done by the blockade of big artery then we will call it a big heart attack and if due to small artery then we will call it small heart attack. Thus there can be two major causes of heart attack: first it is narrowing of the artery due to cholesterol deposit and second arteries are totally blocked with the fresh blood clot.

JWT: It is said that our life style especially in Pakistan is responsible for ‘Cardiac Diseases, do you agree?

P A: Yes, I agree because the cardiac diseases are becoming epidemic in Pakistan from last 23 years and main reason in the increase of cardiac disease is lack of exercise, bad food and smoking.

JWT: How we can prevent heart diseases by keeping in view the context of our social-eating trends?

P A: As I mentioned earlier that prevention of heart disease is very cheap and easier, it only requires exercise everybody according to his age should do exercise. In fact, exercise is the first step towards prevention of heart disease and it is also a source which prolongs human life.

In addition, I would say that those people who are above 45 years and are going to start exercise first time they must consult a doctor before exercise. First of all, we must tell to our children they should start exercise from the age of 05 years on regular basis because it will pay them in the future. Secondly, I would say Pakistani food is very good provided that it should be made in a different way. Here fry every thing in ghee or oil is a common practice which is not good for cardiac health. There can be all sorts of spices in the food but ‘frying’ must be avoided.

JWT: What is ‘Angina’ and is smoking the only cause of Angina?

P A: No, angina has got many causes. Angina means pain in heart. Actually, angina is basically a disease of heart caused by the narrowing of the arteries of heart but without blood clotting and usually, comes on during walking or some exertion. As while doing so body needs more blood and already narrowed arteries restrict this flow an episode of angina is felt. Smoking can also be a cause of the narrowing of the arteries by promoting deposition of cholesterol in arteries.

JWT: What challenges you are facing here at PIC as Chief Cardiologist?

P A:  The biggest challenge which we are facing here i.e. lack of cardiology beds. As the population of Lahore is increasing rapidly in last twenty years the number of patients with heart disease increasing tremendously but the number of cardiology beds hve not increased proportionately. Thus, I would say there is sever shortage of properly equipped cardiology beds. I am requesting to the government that they should establish two cardiac hospitals of the same magnitude of PIC; the government agreed hopefully there will be two cardiac hospitals in the coming few years. Indeed, it will ease the pressure on PIC; PIC at the moment cannot cope with the sheer numbers of cardiac patients.

In addition, I would like to give you a comparison that 6 to7 people are dying everyday in Lahore by ‘Dengue’ but heart diseases kill 130 patients everyday in Lahore. Furthermore, 40 of them are suddenly dying in Lahore daily these patients are not heart patients before one day from death completely normal people. Hence, heart diseases are bigger problem than ‘Dengue’ government is responding very nicely I think government should respond to heart diseases as well. Instead of opening food streets they should open health streets and sports facilities and encourage people to do physical activities, exercise etc and not only government but media, civil society and academia should join hands for the prevention of heart disease.