Don’t Gamble With Your Heart: Act Before The Emergency
Published: September 29, 2026 | Time: 12:20 PM
ISLAMABAD (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Sep, 2026) The clock had barely crossed midnight when the young man suddenly clutched his chest. One moment he was laughing with friends; the next, his face had gone pale and his breathing became heavy.
There was no dramatic warning, no long history of heart disease—just a frightening moment that forced everyone around him to ask: Could this have been prevented?
That question is becoming increasingly important as the world observes World Heart Day 2026 on September 29, under the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat.”
The day serves as a reminder that cardiovascular health is not only a concern for older people or those already diagnosed with heart disease, but a lifelong responsibility requiring awareness, prevention, and timely medical care.
Behind every heart-disease statistic is a human story—a family waiting anxiously outside an emergency room, a mother frightened by her son’s sudden illness, a wife praying beside her husband’s hospital bed, or a young person discovering that age alone does not guarantee protection from cardiovascular problems.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally, claiming millions of lives every year. Yet doctors say many risk factors can be identified and addressed before they develop into a life-threatening emergency.
Assistant Executive Director, Polyclinic and Assistant Professor of Community Medicine Dr Abdul Jabbar Bhutto stressed the importance of early detection, describing prevention as the first line of defence against heart disease.
“Do not wait for your heart to give you a frightening warning before you decide to listen to it,” he advised, urging people to take preventive healthcare seriously.
Dr Bhutto recommended people to undergo early screening twice a year, particularly those with risk factors or a family history of cardiovascular disease, while emphasizing that individual screening needs should be determined in consultation with qualified healthcare professionals.
He also urged people to make regular physical activity part of their daily routine, maintain a healthy body weight, and give adequate attention to sleep.
“A person may not feel the damage today, but years of inactivity, unhealthy eating, excess weight, and poor sleep can quietly build risks that the heart eventually has to bear,” he said.
For many people, however, changing their lifestyle remains difficult.
A young office worker expressed his struggle: long working hours, commuting, and late-night screen time had left little room for exercise.
“I used to believe that because I was young, I could postpone taking care of my heart, but now I realize tomorrow is not something we are promised,” he said.
Another citizen recalled becoming concerned about his weight and constant fatigue.
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