KARACHI: “High blood pressure can be caused, among other things, by an unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise, stress and excessive weight-gain,” said Dr Riaz Qureshi, Professor and Chairman, Department of Family Medicine at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH),
The programme was held to commemorate the World Health Day at the Aga Khan University (AKU). He was discussing relevant current issues in his presentation, ‘Recent Advances in the Management of Hypertension’. He said that high blood pressure, if not controlled well is often a ‘silent killer’, with stroke as well as heart and kidney failure leading to early death
Dr Qureshi strongly recommended that a brisk walk for a half hour, 5 days a week, on an empty stomach or an hour after meals, for control of blood pressure and associated risk factors. Citing recent literature, he said that the selection of the most suitable drug for blood pressure reduction needs to be prescribed on an ‘individual’ basis for each patient.
Dr Waris Qidwai, Associate Professor and Consultant Family Physician at the AKUH said that primary care was essential for the success of any health care delivery system. It has been shown that countries with focus on primary care have better health indicators than those who do not. Pakistan , as a country with limited resources, should strengthen this area.
Dr. Sameena Shah, Senior Instructor and Consultant Family Physician at the AKUH, speaking on “Prevention and Screening in General Practice” said that many developing countries including Pakistan are affected by a double disease burden, that is the combination of long-established infectious diseases, with a rapidly growing new epidemic of chronic, non-communicable diseases.
Ismailimail 