'Cardiac diseases to be main cause of deaths, disability by 2020'

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated in 2002 that in many regions of the world disease burden was increasing due to increased level of poverty and the most affected area was South Asian region.
The estimates given by WHO stated that 16.7 million people died annually by cardiovascular diseases.
This is over 29 percent of all deaths globally. By 2020 cardiovascular disease will become the leading cause of both death and disability world-wide, with the number of fatalities projected to increase to more than 24 million a year by 2030," said Abdul Majeed Rajput, Director General Health, while inaugurating the 'Saarc Congress of Cardiology 2006', here on Friday at the Department of Cardiology, Liaquat National Hospital.
Professor Mansoor Ahmad, President of Saarc Cardiac Society said: "Ischemic Heart Disease has taken on epidemic proportion in our country and there is an emergent need for the clinicians to undertake its management and also to be aware of the established and new modalities like angioplasty employed in its treatment."
The Department of Cardiology Liaquat National Hospital is hosting the Congress from March 31 to April 2 in collaboration with Pakistan Cardiac Society and Saarc Cardiac Society.
"The Department of Cardiology Liaquat National Hospital is an interventional centre, which is at the forefront of management of cardiac diseases. A large number of angioplasties and other invasive procedures are being performed every year and the success rate is comparable to any cardiac tertiary referral centre in the world.
"The coronary Angioplasty and Stenting are among established and safe ways to treat coronary artery diseases. This method of treatment entails opening up of narrowed or blocked arteries supplying the heart through minimally invasive technique, without bypass surgery," said Professor Ejaz Ahmad Vohra, Chairman, Organising Committee, Saarc Congress of Cardiology 2006.
This time, stress on preventive measures would be enlightened. Eminent cardiologists and physicians of Saarc region and across the globe will deliver state-of-the-art lectures on different interesting topics.
The topics include cessation of smoking, importance of the exercise, hip waist ratio, obesity, weight reduction, inter-family marriages, new techniques for interventional cardiology, rheumatic heart disease, electrophysiology etc. Guidelines for the prevention of cardiac diseases in Saarc region will also be discussed.
Through the Saarc Congress of Cardiology 2006 the Department of Cardiology Liaquat National Hospital would provide a forum for broadcast of live cases from the Cath Lab to the select audience and also for dissemination of specialised information through lectures and discussions.
The media has a major role to play in creating awareness among the masses. Therefore, programmes must be telecast and articles should be published to spread knowledge to the people about heart diseases prevention and treatment.