Karachi: Screening of around 2,000 apparently healthy Pakistanis found elevated blood pressure in 45 percent, diabetes in around 35 percent, raised cholesterol in nearly 70 percent and obesity in up to 80 per cent.
The preliminary findings of the nationwide Pak-Sehat Study were shared at a World Heart Day seminar organised by the University of Karachi’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in collaboration with the Pakistan Cardiac Society and PharmEvo.
Tabba Heart Institute Director Dr Bashir Hanif said the study had enrolled around 2,000 people aged between 30 and 65 from across Pakistan in proportion to the populations of the provinces.
All the participants considered themselves healthy when they joined the study, but detailed medical histories, physical examinations, blood tests, CT angiography and ultrasound examinations revealed a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.
The initial findings are alarming. Around 45 per cent had elevated blood pressure, approximately 35 per cent had diabetes, nearly 70 per cent had high cholesterol and between 72 and 80 per cent were obese,’ Dr Hanif said.
Dr Hanif said South Asians developed cardiovascular disease at relatively younger ages, with heart attacks now being reported even among people below 30.
He said the Pak-Sehat Study was examining premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks among young and middle-aged adults to determine why heart disease was appearing earlier in Pakistan.
He also advised people to check their blood pressure while resting instead of measuring it only during headaches, stress or illness, as a reading taken during symptoms might not represent their usual blood pressure.