SADIQABAD - The speakers of a seminar held on ‘High Blood Pressure’ said that about 7 million people die of high blood pressure per annum across the world while 50 percent of Pakistanis are suffering from the disease.
Under the aegis of the Cardiology Department and Pfizer Pakistan, the seminar was held in Sheikh Zayed Medical College, Rahim Yar Khan. Addressing the seminar, professors Dr Faizul Hassan, Dr Naeem Aslam, and Dr Irfan Ahmad said that high blood pressure of hypertension is the main cause of blood vessel burst in brain, paralysis and liver failure. They suggested that people between 35 to 40 years of age should get their blood pressure checked after every three months regularly by a qualified doctor. They were of the view that high blood pressure could be controlled by regular use of prescribed medicines, daily exercise, decreased use of salt and cholesterol and by avoiding smoking. They said that the patients should take low-nutrition foods. The seminar was attended by Dr Qazi Abdul Samad, MS Dr Ali Hasan, Prof Akmal Prof Ghulam Fareed, Dr Zafar Majeed, Dr Majid Dr Abdul Salam, Dr Abid Hussain, Arshad Bajwa as well as a number of civil society members.
Moreover, other experts are of the view that high blood pressure if left untreated can lead to chronic diseases. They pointed out that hypertension is often referred to as a `silent killer’ and about seven million people die every year globally because of hypertension. Lifestyle changes are recommended to lower blood pressure, maintain normal body weight, reduce dietary sodium intake, engage in regular aerobic physical activity such as brisk walking, reduce content of saturated and total fats, consume a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.
They said that blood pressure involves two measurements - systolic and diastolic. The normal blood pressure at rest is within the range of 100-140mmHg systolic (top reading) and 60-90mmHg diastolic (bottom reading). The blood pressure is high if it remains persistently at or above 140/90 mmHg.
Many factors including stress, obesity, smoking, sheesha smoking, social and economic problems may lead to hypertension. Most of the time, there are no symptoms, but when high blood pressure goes untreated, it may cause stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and diabetes.
HR activist honoured:
A local human rights activist Tariq Mehmood was bestowed with Excellence Award for his 12 years services for human rights here the other day. The function was held under the auspices of Harmony Foundation and MNA Riaz Fatyana, Senator M Hamza, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary Khalil Tahir Sindhu, MNA Junaid Anwar, MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq, DCO Syed Javed Iqbal, Labour Party Central Leader Farooq Tariq, PML-N District President Amjad Javed also spoke on the occasion.