Caring for your cardiovascular system

CARDIOVASCULAR disease (CVD) is a range of diseases involving the heart and its blood vessels. Among major problems are the coronary artery disease (CAD), the development of plaque in the wall of the arteries, which may lead to a heart attack, heart failure, which is part of the complication of CAD, arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm, and heart valve problems.

In Malaysia, CVD has consistently been the leading cause of mortality and morbidity since the early 1980s. The Malaysian Burden of Disease and Injury Study confirmed that CAD and cerebrovascular disease are the top killers of Malaysian men and women.

CVD appears to occur earlier in Malaysians. This fact was revealed by The National Cardiovascular Disease – Acute Coronary Syndrome study, which showed CVD patients in Malaysia were younger compared to neighbouring countries.

According to Dr Ahmad Maujad Ali, consultant cardiologist of Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre, “The risk factors of developing CVD can be divided into two categories – non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors.

“The non-modifiable risk factors are age, gender, ethnicity and a family history of premature CVD. Meanwhile, common modifiable risk factors among Malaysians are smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and underlying medical problems such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and a raised cholesterol level.

“Among Malaysians, smoking remains the major factor that contributes to CVD. This means complete cessation of the behaviour may prevent CVD development. It is estimated that smoking alone increases the risk of CVD by two to four times. If combined with other CVD risk factors, it may lead to a multifold increase in risk.

“Obesity is also an independent risk factor for CVD, apart from other risk factors such as hypertension, abnormal cholesterol level or diabetes mellitus. An increase in body mass is significantly correlated to an increase in mortality and CVD death.

“A reduction in weight can play an important role in mitigating heart disease risk. Patients may aim for a 5% to 10% body weight reduction in six months with weight maintenance in a healthy weight range over the next one to two years.”

In addition, hypertension contributes to 54% of stroke and CHD cases worldwide and is a major cause of death and disability. Controlling hypertension is an important factor in the reduction of cardiovascular events.

Individuals with pre-diabetes, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and long-lasting type 2 diabetes are at high risk of CVD. More than 70% of patients with type 2 diabetes die of cardiovascular causes.

To reduce this risk, patients have to strive to achieve glucose-control targets. As with cholesterol level and blood pressure, it is best to discuss with your physician the appropriate target for your health and design a treatment plan suited to you.

Regular exercise may have positive effects in reducing your overall cardiovascular risks. Spend some time to perform moderate or vigorous physical activity five days a week or a combination of both to achieve a favourable impact on health.

In conjunction with World Heart Day, it is important for Malaysians to understand the severity of CVD and take the crucial first step to prevent it. Screening and treatment for cardiovascularrelated diseases are available.

For more information, call Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre at 06-315 8888.