Pakistani women face high heart disease burden
JACC study finds Pakistan has highest female ischaemic heart disease death rate among five South Asian countries; experts cite hypertension, diabetes, obesity and screening gaps IV Report KARACHI: Pakistani women had the highest age-standardised death rate from ischaemic heart disease among five South Asian countries in 2021, with experts linking the burden to hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and gaps in screening and follow-up. The finding, from a 2026 study published in JACC: Asia , was highlighted at a press conference in Karachi on Monday ahead of World Heart Day, to be observed on September 29 with the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat”. The study compared Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan using Global Burden of Disease estimates. Pakistan was also the only country in the comparison where deaths in relation to estimated cases were higher among women than men, at 4.4 per cent against 3.1 per cent. High blood pressure and diets low in vegetables and f...