LAHORE, Nov 18: Food pollution is one of the major causes of heart diseases in Pakistan, says a leading health practitioner.

Similarly, factors like emotional imbalance, smoking, unhealthy lifestyle and a lack of exercise are contributing to such problems. The diagnosis has been presented by Punjab Institute of Cardiology Chief Executive Prof Dr Bilal Zakriya Khan during a session on “Heart diseases and their management” at the TECH Society Club on Sunday. Prof Dr Samina Jehangir, Engineer Abdul Majeed Khan, Zubair Sheikh, Dr Muhammad Sadiq and Jameel Gishkori also spoke.

Dr Bilal said heart diseases in young college students were increasing in Pakistan due to a lack of awareness and preventive measures. In America, he said, around 50 per cent of the heart attacks had been reduced by adopting preventive strategy and modern methods of heart care.

“Smoking at public places should be strictly banned because it pollutes the environment for others who are equally affected by smoking,” he said. He said the patients of diabetes mellitus, which is the main trigger of heart diseases, would be doubled and increased to 20pc in the next 20 years. Every diabetic patient should also be treated as heart patient, he said.

Dr Bilal suggested fibre-rich foods in small quantities should be taken with lesser sweets instead of large meals at once. “Eat for life, not live for eating,” was what he remarked. “There are many heart diseases but coronary heart disease is the most common type which occurs when the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrow due to the plaque buildup, reducing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure,” explained Dr Bilal.

Tobacco smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, stress, alcohol, malnutrition and a lack of exercise are increasing the risk of heart diseases, he warned.

“Heart attack risks can be reduced by avoiding tobacco smoking which contains more than 4,800 chemicals, many of which can damage your heart and blood vessels, regular physical exercise and brisk walk besides eating heart-healthy diet like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.”

Pakistanis, he said, didn’t believe in preventing the heart disease owing to a lack of substantial motivation. Heart disease symptoms appeared after five years, he said.

Prof Dr Samina Jehangir, renowned ophthalmologist, said in presidential remarks that laughter therapy and offering prayers could also be helpful in overcoming heart problems