EDITORIAL: The finding that Pakistani women have the highest death rate from ischaemic heart disease among women in five South Asian countries should prompt serious reflection. On the eve of World Heart Day on Sept 29, cardiologists, gynaecologists, and local industry representatives gathered at the Karachi Press Club to launch the nationwide ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign, highlighting evidence from Global Burden of Disease estimates published in JACC: Asia.
The study found that Pakistan was the only country among the five where the ratio of deaths to estimated cases was higher among women than men — 4.4pc compared with 3.1pc. The figures are a stark reminder that cardiovascular disease is not predominantly a male affliction, as is still widely believed, but a major threat to women’s health.
Many of the risk factors are well known. Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy diets all contribute to cardiovascular disease, yet screening and preventive care remain utterly inadequate. Too many women therefore reach hospitals only after serious complications have developed. The problem is also rooted in the way women’s healthcare is approached. As health experts pointed out, cardiovascular health cannot be treated as a concern only after middle age or when symptoms become severe. Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause can all be critical periods for identifying and managing cardiovascular risks. High blood pressure during pregnancy, for instance, requires proper follow-up even after delivery. Similarly, women with diabetes, obesity or other risk factors need regular assessment rather than treatment only when they become unwell.
A persistent misconception that heart disease primarily affects men can further delay diagnosis and treatment. Women and their families may overlook warning signs or fail to recognise the importance of established risk factors. The experience of major public hospitals, where many women seeking treatment for diabetes also have one or more cardiovascular risk factors, illustrates the close relationship between diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart disease. This makes routine screening all the more important, particularly for women who already have one or more of these conditions.
Yet awareness alone will not solve the problem. Pakistan’s healthcare system needs a stronger primary and secondary cardiovascular care network. Tertiary cardiac hospitals cannot be expected to absorb an ever-growing number of patients who could have benefited from earlier diagnosis, preventive treatment and regular follow-up.
Families, too, must recognise that women’s health cannot remain secondary to household responsibilities. Women need the time and support to seek medical care, remain physically active and follow prescribed treatment. The launch of the ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign is therefore timely, but its success should ultimately be measured not by the number of awareness events held, but by whether more women are screened, diagnosed earlier and able to receive continuous care. Prevention must begin long before the emergency ward.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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