LAHORE, Sept 29: The World Health Organization (WHO) has alerted that world-wide deaths due to cardiovascular diseases may rise to 23.6 million from 17.3 million by 2030.

In Pakistan, the burden of annual deaths of cardiac patients is 0.2 million, quoting a latest research report a senior representative of the WHO in Pakistan told Dawn requesting anonymity.

“Tobacco-use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are the three major causes of the wide-spread deaths of the cardiac patients,” he said.

The WHO representative said these major factors behind the increase in cardiac diseases must be addressed on emergency basis.

He said all the stakeholders concerned including medical institutions, health bodies and governments world-wide had been informed about the latest report carrying above-mentioned three major reasons and new statistics gathered.

Reiterating the WHO’s latest instructions on the occasion of World Heart Day on Saturday, he said the people would have to quit tobacco. They should take at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily and limit salt intake to less than one tea spoon per day and take part in physical exercise for 30 minutes daily to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Unfortunately, he said the 80 per cent burden of the cardiac diseases related deaths occurred in middle and lower income countries.

Meanwhile, like other parts of the country, the World Heart Day was observed on Saturday in the provincial capital to create awareness among the general public about the preventive measures and the risk factors that lead to cardiac diseases.

Various medical organisations organised awareness walks, seminars, scientific forums and sessions, medical camps and consultative dialogues at public and private sector medical institutions to mark the day.

The theme of this year was ‘One World, One Home, One Heart.’

Shalimar Hospital organised a medical camp at Outpatient Department-I where patients were facilitated by weight and blood pressure checkups, BMI test, free blood sugar, cholesterol and ECG tests.

Moreover, free consultation was provided to the general public. Awareness literature and free medicines were also provided to the patients in the camp. People were also given awareness about how to control heart disease.

The Sharif Medical City Hospital and Dental College arranged an awareness walk and set up a free medical camp.