KARACHI: Every day, 40 to 45 people are brought to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in the city with heart attacks, with an alarming 15 per cent of the patients aged between 25 and 40, health experts have said.

Addressing an awareness event at the Arts Council on Thursday, they attribute this rise to increasing obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and smoking.

Prof Tahir Sagheer, executive director of NICVD, expressed concern over the growing number of patients with heart attack. “The rise in heart attacks among younger individuals is alarming. A lack of physical activity and poor dietary habits are key contributors to these early cardiac events,” he said, emphasising the urgent need for lifestyle changes to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

The event, organised by NICVD in collaboration with Discovering Hypertension and the Arts Council, featured a thematic theatre performance designed to promote heart health awareness. Attended by hundreds of school students, the performance highlighted the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Prof Khawar Kazmi, head of Preventive Cardiology at NICVD, stressed the need to educate children and adolescents about dangers of unhealthy lifestyle. “Physical inactivity and poor diet are leading to early onset diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,” he warned.

Prof Kazmi urged for immediate action to reverse these trends and called on schools and communities to actively promote healthier habits among children to prevent long-term health issues.

He emphasised that prevention must begin early. “We need to make children aware of these risks now, so they can make informed choices and lead healthier lives,” he added.

The awareness event served as a platform to engage the younger generation as future ambassadors for heart health, with experts hoping this early intervention will reduce the growing number of heart disease cases among Pakistan’s youth.

Syed Jamshed Ahmed of Discovering Hypertension echoed this sentiment, highlighting the economic challenges Pakistan faces. “Our goal is to reach every school-going student to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of smoking, vaping, and unhealthy diets on their health,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024