Diabetes and heart diseases closely linked

PAKISTAN Society of Interventional Cardiology (PSIC) President Prof Dr Nadeem Hayat Mallick has said the diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are closely linked with each other because 70 per cent patients of diabetes will ultimately die of heart diseases or related complications. He was addressing the participants of a workshop on “Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases” under 13th Continued Medical Education (CME) Programme organized by Department of Research and CME, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, at Institute’s Auditorium on Friday. The workshop was a part of the 2nd International Conference on “Diabetes Mellitus” organized by Department of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, in Lahore from April 25 to 27. Dr Nadeem Hayat Mallick, Professor of Cardiology and Convener/Course Director, said the incidence of diabetes was growing globally as well as at Pakistan level, therefore, the number of young patients with heart diseases was also growing proportionately. He said “if a patient is diagnosed with diabetes then he/she be given treatment for preventing heart diseases or related complications instead of waiting for heart stroke to happen. As soon as the patient is diagnosed with diabetes, whether he/she carries heart disease or not, then he/she must also be started medication for heart diseases in addition to regular treatment of diabetes. Diabetes means heart diseases,” he emphasized. Pointing out causes of diabetes, he said the diabetes, besides being a genetically acquired disease, was also caused by lack of exercise, weight increase, bad eating habits, high blood pressure and high cholesterol which must be taken care of to avoid diabetes from the lives of the people. Regarding the workshop, he said the purpose was not only to increase the awareness of this deadly disease but also to finalize recommendations for treatment of diabetic patients with heart diseases with special emphasis on angioplasty, bypass surgery and medical therapy. Besides, Head of PIC Prof Dr Jawad Sajid Khan, Prof Muhammad Azhar, Prof Raja Pervaiz Akhtar, Dr Ijaz Ahmad, Dr Shahid Amin, Dr Saqib Shafi and Dr Bilal Mohaiyuddin were among the other speakers at the workshop which included lectures, discussions and interactive angiographic video sessions where general practitioners interacted with specialists in the field of cardiology.