Jammu, May 05: Continuing his commitment to transform society into a cardiac-friendly environment and educate the masses about measures to promote cardiac health, Dr Sushil Sharma, Head of the Department of Cardiology at GMCH Jammu, conducted a day-long cardiac awareness cum health checkup camp at Bhagwan Shri Parshu Ram Bhawan, Parade Jammu.
The camp, organised in collaboration with Dogra Brahmin Pratinidhi Sabha on the occasion of the celebration of the birthday of Bhagwan Shri Parshuram Ji, aimed to strengthen existing measures for primary prevention of cardiac ailments at primary to tertiary healthcare levels and enlighten the masses about policies to enhance cardiac health.
Dr Sushil said that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading contributors to the global burden of diseases, both in developing and developed countries. He said that an estimated 29.2% of total global deaths result from various forms of CVDs, many of which are preventable through action on major primary risk factors such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and smoking.
“Eight risk factors of CVDs account for 61% of cardiovascular deaths and these include alcohol use, tobacco use, high blood pressure, high body mass index/adiposity, high blood cholesterol and glucose, low fruit and vegetable intake, and physical inactivity,” he said.
While individual choices play a part in these behaviours, government and policymakers also play an important role in ensuring people have access to the tools they need to live a healthy life, including clean air, affordable healthy food, and well-planned urban spaces that encourage an active lifestyle.
Health policies that create environments where healthy choices are not only available but also affordable, are essential for motivating people to adopt and sustain healthier lifestyles, he said.
Dr Sharma stressed the significance of knowing one’s numbers in maintaining heart health and advocating for regular monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels to determine and control the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. He underlined the role of hypertension and high cholesterol levels as major causes of heart attacks and strokes, emphasizing the importance of dietary changes, physical activity, and medication as necessary measures to lower them.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Sushil Sharma highlighted deficiencies in CVD knowledge among the general population and stressed the urgent need for widespread and effective educational interventions that are sensitive to the perceptions, attitudes, and abilities of targeted individuals.
The Management Committee of the Sabha, including Vaid Prakash Sharma, Verinder Magotra, Nanak Sharma, Rajesh Bagotra, Davinder Sharma, P C Sharma, Subhash Shastri, and Reetiz Khajuria, appreciated Dr Sushil Sharma and his team for organizing the cardiac awareness cum health checkup camp, expressing heartfelt gratitude.
Other medical professionals and volunteers who contributed to the camp included Dr S K Bali (Nephrologist), Dr Venkatesh Yellupu and Dr Dhaneshwar Kapoor. Paramedics and volunteers who were part of the team included Kamal Sharma, Raghav Rajput, Ranjeet Thakur, Nitish Mahajan, Rohit Nayyar, Amish Jamwal, Rajinder Singh, Arun Singh, Jatin Bhasin, Rajkumar, Maninder Singh, Jatin Bhasin, Paramveer Singh, Gourav Sharma and Vikas Kumar.
