Prez moots lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease

Lucknow, Mar 3 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today mooted a massive change in lifestyle, including regular heart check-ups and better food habits to prevent heart disease.

Addressing a gathering here during the inauguration of a branch of Divine Heart Hospital and Research Centre, the President said regular health check-ups and better food habits to suit today's fast paced life were essential to prevent heart ailments, including heart attacks.

Kalam said it was important that doctors also consulted a patient's family members before treating him. He felt that a better patient-doctor interaction was a must to counter various ailments.

Referring to advancements in medical science, he said gene chips could help pregnant women get information about genetic defects and problems, including heart ailments in foetus.

He said while pace makers were becoming a vital part in heart treatment, the stem cell research would help cardiologists treat the problems in a better way.

The President also stressed the need for management of cardiac diseases.

Speaking on the occasion, former Prime Minister and Lucknow MP Atal Bihari Vajpayee said it was important to ensure no one died due to lack of medicines. ''Communicable diseases mostly attack the poor man...It is important that India with its limited resources checked the onslaught of communicable diseases.'' He said the number of foreign nationals seeking treatment in India was increasing. ''It is no mean achievement. The world is fast recognising the capability of Indian doctors and its achievements in the field of medical sciences.'' He also thanked the President for taking time out to inaugurate the hospital branch at Gomti Nagar here, especially when US President George W Bush was visiting India.

State Governor T V Rajeswar said robotics would soon play a major role in operations and surgeries. He stressed the need to be prepared for the revolution in the field of robotics in medical field.

UNI MB NAB VS RL KP1955