With a concerning rise in heart attacks and cardiac deaths among younger adults, the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is calling for urgent lifestyle changes through its World Heart Day campaign, ‘Heart Over Habit’, a movement encouraging people to break harmful routines and embrace heart-healthy living.
Cardiovascular diseases, once considered illnesses of old age, are increasingly affecting people in their 30s and 40s. Sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, smoking, unmanaged stress and the absence of regular check-ups are all contributing to this alarming trend. In response, AKUH, in collaboration with Docs On Wheels and the wider cycling community, organised a series of public awareness events to inspire healthier choices and encourage preventive action.
“The rising number of cardiac events among younger adults is a reminder that heart disease is shaped by the choices we make,” said Professor Dr Farhat Abbas, CEO, AKU Health System, Pakistan. “Heart Over Habit urges us to stay active, eat well, manage stress and address risks like smoking and high blood pressure, because prevention is far more powerful than treatment.”
To launch the World Heart Day celebrations, the Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery at AKUH hosted a vibrant-red Mini Marathon on Sunday, September 21. Leaders, faculty, students and staff walked side by side in red to send a clear message: it is time to put Heart Over Habit, stay active and make lasting investments in heart health.
AKUH also held a World Heart Day Cycling Ride, which brought together doctors, nurses, students and members of Karachi’s cycling community for a collective ride from the AKU Sports and Rehabilitation Centre to Boat Basin. The event symbolised the journey from harmful habits to healthier choices and highlighted the importance of physical activity in preventing cardiovascular disease.
“Heart disease often remains silent until it becomes life-threatening,” said Professor Dr Saulat Fatimi, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at AKUH. “We see many patients who could have saved themselves from angioplasty or bypass surgery with earlier lifestyle changes and regular screenings.”
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