Daily Times

KARACHI: The experienced medical professionals noted that journalists are more prone to strokes compared to common citizens because obesity, tobacco use and lack of exercise make them more susceptible to disease.

On the world stroke day, Health Committee of Karachi Press Club (KPC) in collaboration with Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation (NARF) organized medical screening camp Thursday where renowned physicians provided free consultancy to journalists.

“We have found around 60-70 percent working journalists as either obese or being over-weight, majority of them admitted that they regularly smoke or chew tobacco while hardly any of them walks regularly”, revealed Dr. Muhammad Wasey, President of NARF.

Dr. Wasey said around 200 journalists were screened for the risk factors of the stroke and of them, majority was found to be either obese or over-weight, which shows that they have a sedentary lifestyle while they also don’t exercise to keep their bodies in shape and control their weight.

“Obesity is one of the major risk factors of stroke. It leads to hypertension and diabetes, which result in stroke and heart attacks. We recommend people to control their weight by eating less, walking more so that they could prevent themselves from stroke and heart attack”, he added.

Another renowned neurologist and Secretary of NARF Dr. Abdul Malik said every day, 1000 people were having stroke due to their poor and sedentary lifestyle and added that those who survive the stroke, get disabled for rest of their lives.

He deplored that only 10 percent hospitals in Pakistan had neurology wards and departments where stroke patients could be treated while number of people having risk factors was on the rise and in coming days, stroke would be the fourth leading cause of death and disability in Pakistan.

Dr. Malik urged journalists to use their expertise for lowering obesity, use of tobacco and promoting exercise and healthy lifestyle among people so that burden of health could be lowered, saying majority of Pakistanis could not afford treatment at private hospitals if they or their loved ones have stroke.