Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and increasing stress levels are the main causes behind the growing instances of cardiac problems, according to doctors associated with the foundation. [break]
About 15 percent of the country´s population has been suffering from one heart ailment or the other and the number is increasing at an alarming rate, said Dr Prakash Regmi, chairman of the foundation.
"More than 80 percent of heart problems are preventable," said Dr Regmi, adding that ignorance and negligence are the main culprits.
"Physical activity has decreased by 85 percent among urban dwellers, and this is leading to high levels of cardiac risk," he further said.
The study also shows that more than 50 percent of urban youths do not exercise regularly as recommended by physicians.
Furthermore, a third of the urban population over the age of 30 faces hypertension. Twenty percent of adults have high levels of cholesterol and six percent have diabetes.
Dr Regmi said that over 30 percent of adults smoke--another major factor behind heart disease. Earlier, the number of women smokers was higher than their male counterparts, but the equation has changed over recent years.
The study also shows that over 85 percent of the people living in big cities and towns eat unhealthy.
"Over 80 percent of adults living in urban centers are prone to two or more kinds of heart disease," Dr Regmi stated.
He added that half the people who suffered heart attacks have died. Among the dead, 50 percent died on the way to hospital, and the rest in the course of treatment. "Only 12 percent have survived cardiac arrests," he added.
Renowned cardiologist Professor Bhagwan Koirala said that city dwellers, especially adults who have a busy lifestyle, are prone to multiple health complications, including heart disease.
Dr Koirala, who is also director of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), said, "It is high time people started implementing doctors´ suggestions sincerely and this applies even to the doctors themselves," he said.
Dr Hem Raj Koirala, a cardiologist at the foundation, urged one and all to reduce salt intake, avoid junk food and smoking to reduce the risk of heart attack.
He asked the general public to check their cholesterol level and blood pressure on a regular basis.
“To find out the risk to one´s heart, one also needs to figure out the family history,” he added.
Each year 18 million people die of cardiac disease across the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and half of them are in South and South-East Asia.
WHO predicts that heart attacks will surpass all other causes of death, and become the number one killer in the world by 2020.
Highlights:
80 percent of adults living in urban areas are prone to two or more heart-related risks
Over 85 percent of people eat unhealthy food
Half the urban youths do not exercise regularly
A third of the urban population over the age of 30 has hypertension
80 percent of cardiac problems are preventable
Regular cholesterol and blood pressure checkups help prevent strokes
Know your family´s health history to figure out the risks
Reduce salt intake, obesity and stress level
Avoid junk food
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