Hypertension: a common silent killer

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: On the eve of World Hypertension Day 2009, the Pakistan Hypertension League, Karachi Chapter organised a session, called ‘Salt and High Blood Pressure, two silent killers, get informed and live long’, at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital auditorium on Saturday.

The inaugural session was chaired by former NICVD Director Prof Azhar Masood Farooqui and was addressed by Prof Muhammad Ishaque, Prof Waqar Kazmi, Dr Abdul Rasheed Khan, Dr Masood-uz-Zafar and Prof Azhar Masood Farooqui. Hypertension is the most common chronic disease and according to the national health survey conducted by the Pakistan Medical Research Council, 18 percent of adults in Pakistan suffer from high blood pressure. Thus, there are around 12 million hypertensives in Pakistan with 21.5 percent in urban areas and 16.2 percent in the rural areas. A study done in Punjab and Karachi revealed that five percent and 17 percent of the people suffer from hypertension respectively, out of which, only three percent are getting adequate treatment and control. One-fourth of the Pakistani population is overweight and obese and an inter-heart study revealed that 90 percent of hypertension in the country was associated with systolic blood pressure, age, sex, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

The speakers at the session highlighted the different aspects of high blood pressure including etiology, risk factors, management and preventive strategies. The complications of high blood pressure and the increasing incidences of hypertension in youth were also highlighted, while the speakers also stressed on adequate control of cholesterol, sugar, the control of BMI and lowering salt in diet.

Preventive strategies were discussed in detail in order to create awareness amongst the general public, especially regarding lifestyle modifications. These preventative measures included lowering salt consumption to five to six grams per day, having a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and to reduce the content of saturated fat intake.

Regular physical exercise, relieving mental stress, controlling sugar and cholesterol and stop smoking were also suggested as preventative measures for reducing hypertension.

High blood pressure is a silent but serious disease which can be easily diagnosed and adequately controlled through lifestyle modification and if necessary, by effective and safe medications. The awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure can only be spread through coordinated and consistent efforts by all those who are concerned with this serious health problem, the speakers added.

On this note, Sindh Minister for Health Dr Saghir Ahmed stated that the awareness of the dangers of hypertension is direly needed in order to save precious lives and motivate the masses to follow a healthy lifestyle. He said this while talking to a delegation of physicians at his office on Saturday.

Dr Ahmed said that it is a fact that hypertension is a silent killer, adding that it is said that by 2020, two-thirds of the world population will be suffering from hypertension. He asked the physicians to motivate their patients to follow a healthy lifestyle and tell them to make exercise a part of their daily routine.

Meanwhile, the health minister has taken serious notice of the lack of facilities available at the Civil Hospital, Nausheroferoze. He has also taken notice of the news about the post of director nursing lying vacant and directed the health secretary to post a suitable officer on the post. The health minister also took notice of the news about there being encroachments outside the Civil Hospital Karachi casualty department and has directed the hospital administration to remove the encroachments and illegal taxi stands so as to facilitate the patients. ppi

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...09_pg12_11