Cardiovascular diseases are an emerging health problem in much of South Asia. One to two per 1,000 children in Nepal suffer from rheumatic heart disease, while some five per cent of adult population in Kathmandu suffer from coronary artery disease. Realising the need to exchange ideas for the prevention, cure and new techniques of treatment, some 500 delegates from around the globe have gathered in Kathmandu to organise the third biennial South Asian conference on cardiology beginning Friday. Responsible for over 30 per cent of all deaths worldwide, cardiovascular diseases are now a global health menace. According to one estimate, heart attacks will be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.

Transformation in lifestyle from an active one to sedentary coupled with the change in dietary habits have been diagnosed the leading cause of the rise in the number of cardiac ailments. Consumption of high-calorie fast foods, with high quantities of harmful cholesterol, has been one of the primary causes of the rise in cardiac diseases. South Asian dishes are also rich in fat and salt content. Most of the calories are converted to fatty acids and with age begin depositing on arteries. Over time, the deposits clog arteries, reducing blood flow often leading to heart attacks or strokes. Unhealthy food, rich in fat content, give rise to obesity, a condition of being disproportionately fat. Such people run a higher risk of high blood pressure and are predisposed to cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, evidence shows smoking and drinking worsen the ailment.

The participants in the conference will do well by focusing on promoting greater awareness on good food and healthy life style as preventive measures to fight the heart ailments. Mother nature has a lot to offer in terms of healthy food free from fat or high cholesterol. This, combined with a moderate physical exercises to burn off extra calories, will help reduce fat deposition in the human body. The benefits of consuming fruits, fibres and vegetables cannot be overemphasised. Couch potatoes need to move around and consider the disadvantages of consuming ready-to-eat food packages, that have more of the harmful edible components. Medical check ups and assessing the Body Fat Index, a scientific way of knowing body fat content, would be a handy tool to keep a vigil over rise in body fat. Prevention is the best tool to fight the disease. This does not mean that this is adequate. Research in treatment must continue as people suffer from the ailment even if they combine healthy food with regular exercise. But a lot could be achieved by sending across the message that prevention is better than cure.