KARACHI, Aug 20: Eminent cardiologists from all over the country and India on Saturday stressed simple and inexpensive preventive measures like change in dietary habits, physical exercise, quitting tobacco use and change in lifestyle will significantly reduce the incidence of death and disability due to cardiovascular disease.

The experts were speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day “Revascularization Course in Pakistan-2005 (RCP-2005)”, organized by the Department of Cardiology Liaquat National Hospital in collaboration with the Pakistan Cardiac Society supported by the Pakistan Society of Interventional Cardiology and the SAARC Cardiac Society.

They said cardiovascular and infectious diseases in South Asia including Pakistan was a health challenge requiring policy development, planning and investment in the health system.

Similarly, health education and health information for health providers and general public are a major need of the developing countries, they emphasized.

Prof Mansoor Ahmad, course director and head, Department of Cardiology, LNH said cardiovascular diseases were a major public concern the world over.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in developed countries, whereas developing countries are also fast approaching the same status. Cardiac diseases account for one in three deaths in low and middle income countries, he added.

“This revascularization course is the continuation of annual efforts to bring together Pakistani expertise for creating awareness of this novel treatment modality and training of younger talent.

A large number of angioplasties are done every year in Pakistan and the success rate is comparable to any cardiac tertiary referral centre in the world.

“We, in Pakistan are proud of our skilled interventional cardiologists, who are performing percutaneous procedures at various centres. The course now involved live cases transmission from the AKUH, the NICVD, the PIC, the AFIC, the LRH along with the LNH’s Cath Lab,” Prof Mansoor told.

Prof Abdus Samad, Secretary Pakistan Cardiac Society, said the field of interventional cardiology had seen phenomenal advancements in a very short span of time.

From metallic dilators of the 70s to laser balloons, catheters and drug eluting stents of today, the progress seemed mind-boggling and yet we are far from perfection.

Newer devices are finding their entrances into routine practice of interventional cardiology and becoming standards of care rather than research tools, he added.

Prof Karamat Ali Shah, President of the Pakistan Cardiac Society said the face of interventional cardiology was transforming from an art and skill of operator to highly sophisticated and technology-dependant process.

“To ease the burden off our patients, the government should exert tighter regulatory control over prices of materials. Meanwhile, till the economists, bureaucrats and businessmen decide to really do something, what we can do is make our procedure as cost effective as possible.

The guest of honour from India, Dr Samuel Mathew, said Pakistanis and Indians have remained good friends and now political scenario was also changed for good.

Senior Cardiologist Prof Mushtaq Hassan said justification of prevention should always be considered to maximum benefits of the poor population.

Dr Abdul Rasheed Khan, Prof Shaharyar Shaikh, President of the Pakistan Cardiac Society, Prof Khan Shah Zaman, secretary of the Pakistan Society of Interventional Cardiologists also spoke.—APP/PPI