Childhood risk factors: future burden of coronary heart disease: Dr Sushil

HoD Cardiology GMC Jammu Dr Sushil Sharma examining patients at a medical camp in Jammu on Sunday.
HoD Cardiology GMC Jammu Dr Sushil Sharma examining patients at a medical camp in Jammu on Sunday.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 19: In view of increasing prevalence of cardiovascular ailments in younger masses and minimal awareness regarding this Head Department of Cardiology GMCH Jammu Dr Sushil Sharma held a day long cardiac awareness-cum-health check up camp at Wazir Janki Nath Memorial Higher Secondary School , Rani Bagh Jammu. The people and particularly younger generation were educated regarding the need to adopt optimal cardiovascular lifestyle right from childhood which will in turn lead to reduced socioeconomic burden and morbidity.
While interacting with the people, Dr Sushil stated that cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of death and health costs in developed as well as developing countries. Although cardiovascular diseases are thought to affect only adulthood, the underlying process of atherosclerosis begins in the first decade of life. Epidemiological studies show that severity of atherosclerosis depends both on the number and intensity of risk factors.
Dr Sharma while emphasising on the primary prevention of cardiac ailments told that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and there currently is an increasing prevalence of children in both developed and developing nations with cardiovascular risk factors. It is now possible to detect early evidence of arterial disease. Major gains will likely accrue from public health strategies targeting overweight, exercise and cigarette smoking, he added.
Others who were part of the Camp include Dr Nasir Ali Choudhary, Dr Yashwant Sharma and Dr Dhaneshwer Kapoor. Paramedics and volunteers include Kamal Sharma, Arun Singh, Nitish Mahajan, Faisal Rashid, Maninder Singh, Rohit Nayyar, Mukesh Kumar, Jatin Bhasin, Arjun Ghuman, Ranjit singh, Moosa Mushtaq, Gourav Sharma, Rajinder Singh, Vikas Kumar and Nirvair Singh Bali.