J&K people suffer from uncontrolled BP, diabetes, liver disorders: GHHP report

Srinagar: A report by the Gauri Healthy Heart Project (GHHP) has revealed that people in Jammu and Kashmir suffer from uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, and abnormal lipid profiles despite taking medicines.

The report has also said the three ailments were among the leading cause of heart diseases in the union territory.

“We saw many cases of heart ailments caused by high blood pressure and diabetes and decided to do a camp in collaboration with the district health authorities. The aim was to see patients already on treatment for both these maladies. To our surprise more than half of them were poorly controlled despite being on medicines. From Kupwara town, we went to Machil close to LoC with assistance from local authorities and did a camp there. The observations were similar,” said the annual report of the GHHP that was released here on Thursday.

The report that was released a year after the launching of the GHHP activities in the union territory said it observed a similar pattern in other districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

“This experience led our team to go to different districts of the UT with the same aim. One-day camps were held under strict COVID protocol in less developed areas of different districts. Krimshore and Ringzabal (Khan Sahib) in Budgam, Rajpora in Pulwama, Mir Bahri in the backwaters of Dal Lake, the Leper Colony, Bahrar Srinagar, Banihal town in Ramban and Jagti migrant camp in Jammu,” it said. “The observations were the same as seen in other districts: Uncontrolled BP and diabetes and abnormal lipid profiles despite taking medicines. These problems are the harbingers of heart-related issues especially myocardial infarctions.”

In the report, eminent cardiologist Prof Upendra Kaul and GHHP founder-director Prof. Upendra Kaul said they also noticed high blood pressure among the youth involved in substance abuse.

“The rising incidence of substance use in the valley caught our attention and we held a one-day camp at the Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (IMHANS), Srinagar. There was a young population with all the psychosocial issues but very little diabetes and high BP,” he said.

Kaul said they had launched their programme due to increasing cases of heart attacks especially among the younger population in Jammu and Kashmir. He batted for awareness over ‘modifiable risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, stress, diabetes, high lipids, abnormal obesity, decreased intake of fruits and vegetables, decreased exercise and alcohol consumption. He also underscored the need of having regular health checkups.

Interestingly, the GHHP has kept an aim of reducing heart attacks by 50 percent under its ‘Mission of No Heart Attacks by 2025’.