Checking blood pressure, diabetics needed to prevent heart diseases: Experts

Checking high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetics can be the crucial means of substantial and sustainable reduction of mortality and morbidity caused by heart diseases.

Number of various non communicable diseases (NCD), including cardiac ailments and stroke, is increasing sharply as reckless life-style and food habits are largely responsible for the diseases, BSS reports.

Hypertensions, diabetes, obesity, having unhealthy diets alongside consumption of tobacco products are blamed for the alarming rise of the disease.

Health experts came up with the observation while addressing the closing ceremony of a four-day training for Health service providers on Bangladesh Hypertension control Initiative.

The Non Communicable Disease Control Programme of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (NHFB) organized the workshop at the office conference hall of Divisional Directorate of Health in Rajshahi on Wednesday.

Civil Surgeon Offices of Pabna and Sirajganj also organized similar training workshops at their respective conference halls early this month.

In the workshops, 25 upazila health officers, 85 medical officers, 104 nurses, 50 sub assistant community medical officers and 26 each of storekeepers, statisticians and health inspectors joined.

Divisional Director of Health Dr Habibul Ahsan Talukder, Civil Surgeons Dr Abu Sayeed Faruque, Dr Monisur Chowdhury and Dr Rampada Roy and Divisional Programme Officer of National Heart Foundation Ehsanul Amin Emon addressed the workshops as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue.

Dr Habibul Ahsan Talukder said some other factors including lack of exercise as well as habit of eating fast food, taking soft drinks or various drugs and drinking alcohol as largely responsible for heart ailments.

He, however, said modification of life-style, proper control of blood glucose and hypertension and treatment of lipid disorders can help manage the risk factors of heart attack.

Dr Talukder said high blood pressure is known as “the silent killer” as it remains without symptoms in most individuals. High blood pressure causes wear and tear of the delicate inner lining of blood vessels.

He told the workshop that DGHS and NHFB have started working integrated ways to reduce mortality rate caused by heart diseases at 25 upazilas of three districts under Rajshahi division.

All the patients suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes will receive health service, prescription and medicines through NCD corners of the 25 upazila health complexes free of cost to check the NCDs.