PESHAWAR, Nov 2: Weight reduction, regular exercise, decreasing salt intake are cheaper alternatives for reducing hypertension and high blood pressure which in turn help in avoiding the risk of stroke and cardiac disorders.

According to Dr Hafizullah, a cardiologist, people suffering from blood pressure should regularly consult their doctors and take preventive measures against what he termed the ‘silent killer disease’ instead of using drugs.

He was briefing journalists about a two-day conference aimed at creating public awareness about hypertension and blood pressure which would start in a local hotel on Saturday.

Dr Hafizullah said: “If someone reduces his weight by only two kilogrammes, he manages to reduce his blood pressure by 4 millimetres,” he informed. He stressed the need for proper exercise, and said it was a panacea for many diseases.

The doctor said that almost 60 per cent of patients in Pakistan did not even know that they suffered from blood pressure, while only three per cent of them could control their blood pressure through curative measures.

Dr Saeedul Majeed introduced the Pakistan Hypertension League and said that the league, which was established in 1997 in Karachi, was now working in 10 cities, including Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi and Islamabad. He said that the league’s members included cardiologists, general practitioners, gynaecologists, journalists and people from different walks of life.

Dr. Saeed said that the league had been arranging lectures on various specialised topics for general practitioners in collaboration with the Peshawar chapter of the College of Family Medicines. He said over 100 clinical meetings had so far been arranged.

The conference, he said, would be inaugurated by Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court Justice Tariq Pervez Khan at 3pm.