CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Global burden of non-communicable diseases has grown exponentially over the last three decades. World Health Organization reported that developing
countries now face the similar toll of chronic diseases as the developed and most industrialized countries of the world. Amongst these non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular diseases are most significant to be noticed besides the respiratory diseases, nutrition disorders, cancers and other causes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diet related behaviors and physical inactivity leading to major cardiovascular diseases have been attributed to the most mortalities in lower and middle income countries of the world and may become the foremost cause of mortality all over the world by 2030. Pakistan being a middle income country is no exception; having gone through an obvious demographic as well as epidemiological transition, the country shows that almost one third of the deaths are due to cardiovascular reasons. The risk factors include tobacco, physical inactivity and obesity, dyslipidemia, salt/sodium intake, hypertension and diabetes.