Ahmedabad, Sep 28 (IANS) Hundreds of people participated in a walkathon here Sunday to mark the World Heart Day.The age of participants ranged from an 8-year-old to a 70-year-old.

The schoolchildren held placards reading “Keep your heart healthy” and “Prevention is better than cure”.

Shrenik Shah, cardiologist, said: “India will soon have 60 percent heart patients in the world by 2010. Currently, Gujarat tops the list of endemic states with a high number of cardiac patients while Rajasthan and Punjab are second and third respectively.”

Over 100 doctors, many from Sterling Hospitals’ cardiology team, also highlighted the ways and means of prevention and cure of diseases related to heart.

The walkathon was organised by Sterling Hospitals in association with organisations including Rotary club of Ahmedabad and Association of Physicians of Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Medical Association.

The hospital has set up health assessment centres at various residential colonies in Ahmedabad to conduct basic heath check-ups for its residents, and some fun-filled cardiac health promotions for corporates.

Continuing Medical Education for doctors on cardiac health were also organised.

Sterling has designed a special ‘Cardiac Screening Package’ at Rs.1,100 and ‘Walk-in Walk-out Angiography’ at Rs.6,500 which would help to identify people suffering from cardiac disease. These packages are available till Sep 30.