'Healthy lifestyle can prevent hypertension'

Hypertension and heart diseases can be prevented by adapting healthy lifestyle, promoting exercise and avoiding junk food, unhealthy diet and obesity. This was stated by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar while addressing one-day seminar on green combination: blockade for hypertension and cardiac dysrhythmia arranged by Department of Bio-Chemistry, UAF.
He said most people are careless in adopting hygienic food habits, exercise and other preventive measures. He advised all to walk and take at least 6000 steps a day. If a person adapts a routine of walking and takes at least 10000 steps daily, it would help him in preventing heart disease, and hypertension. He said that playgrounds offer a deserted look as the youngsters are glued to the internet, mobile phones etc. He said that world is discouraging the junk food whereas its consumption in our country is increasing day by day. He said that there is a need to address the causes of the increasing number of diseases and which he attributed to unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy food habits and choices.
He said that people with cardiovascular disease or those who are at high cardiovascular risk due to the presence of one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia or already established disease, need early detection and management using counseling and medicines, as appropriate.
Former vice chancellor Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Dr Khalid Mehmood said that although a lot of scientific work was being done on the herbal medicine but it is a matter of concern that knowledge of herbal medicine has not been documented in the Sub-continent for centuries. He said that there is need to document herbal medicine treatments to cope with diseases.
Dean Faculty of Sciences Professor Dr Muhammad Asghar Bajwa urged the participants to adopt healthy lifestyle and avoid junk food, obesity and use of drugs. He also stressed the need to create awareness about giving up the usage of soda drinks as its one bottle contains 8 to 16 spoons of the sugar that is harmful for the human health. He said that each cigarette reduces 15 minutes of a person's life.
Department of Biochemistry Chairman Dr Khalil Ur Rehman said that prevention is better than cure. He said unhealthy lifestyle, food habits and a lack of physical activities are the main causes for increase in hypertension and other diseases in the country. He said that treatment through herbal medicine was having marvelous results and its demand is on the rise. He said that seminar provides an opportunity to allopathic doctors, Hakims and homeopathic doctors to work together for the welfare of the mankind.