Shehroze Hasnain, Tayyab Waseem, Usman Tariq, Shakeel Yousaf, Muhammad Ahmad Abdullah.
Awareness of risk factors regarding ischemic heart diseases, among the general population of rawalpindi and islamabad.
Pak J Public Health Jan ;4(2):16-9.

Introduction: Previous studies have been conducted in Pakistan, ascertaining the burden of risk factors for IHD prevalent within our population. However, many of these studies have not assessed the knowledge of the populace about IHD and the risk factors precipitating to this deadly condition. Thus the purpose of this study is to assess the level of understanding within the public in terms of what IHD means, its effects on health and the risk factors that lead to this disease. The objective of this research was to determine the degree of awareness about Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and its associated risk factors among the general population of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Methodology: One hundred and fty nine individuals were chosen for the study based on non-probability accidental sampling technique. Data was gathered via a semi-structured questionnaire and results were assessed via SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solution 21.0). Results: mean age of respondents was 36, 43.4% had basic knowledge of ischemic heart disease,9.9% considered there was a relationship between IHD and smoking, 9.1% considered cholesterol as a risk factor, but majority considered being overweight and having increased stress levels leads to IHD (82.5% and 80.9% respectively). Conclusion: The compilation of our results determined the lack of awareness among the general population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi about IHD and its corresponding risk factors; especially among those who carried potent hazards of the disease. Among those who did have some awareness, concerning modiable risk factors such as smoking, exercise and stress, did not take precautions in reducing such risks. This calls for an extensive public awareness campaign about IHD and its contributory factors. (Pak J Public Health 2014; 4(2):8-11) Keywords: Awareness, Risk Factors, Ischemic Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi and Islamabad

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com