20 per cent of deaths in Malta are caused by heart disease
● World Heart Day awareness at Mater Dei Hospital
Heart disease causes 20 per cent of deaths in Malta, making it the country’s number one killer. It affects women and men equally.
Today is the official World Heart Day, which is internationally recognised by the World Heart Federation.
The chair of the Department of Cardiology and president of the Maltese Cardiac Society, Dr Robert Xuereb, explained that the Maltese Cardio Association, in line with what is going on at an international level, will today be raising awareness about heart disease through various activities.
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death internationally, including in Malta, and the vast majority of heart conditions are reversible and avoidable. All we need to do is take action,” he said.
Xuereb said that today’s theme is about “sharing the power” and taking responsibility of your own heart’s health. “Heart disease affects men and women equally and it’s the most expensive condition to treat. Furthermore, with regard to the health budget, most of the funds go toward heart disease, so if we are able to reduce heart disease, we can lower this economic burden.”
‘Share the power’ means not relying on the hospital to call you in for check-ups and tests. Each individual needs to take the responsibility for their heart, Xuereb said.
The day will be filled with activities, kicking off with a walk round Mater Dei Hospital and then a circuit training activity. This will then be followed by talks delivered by Xuereb and fellow colleagues on what heart disease is, the conditions, how it results in illness and what we can do to avoid it.
There will also be time for people to have their blood pressure, glucose and weight checked along with other checks, including on smoking, on Mater Dei grounds. There will also be demonstrations on how to save the life of someone who has gone into cardiac arrest.
“Tomorrow we will show people how to recognise symptoms, how to tell if someone is having a heart attack, and the importance of taking the required medication.
The four main risk factors for heart disease – the ‘big four’ – are smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Obesity is also a factor but is not included in the ‘big four.’
Xuereb also said that genetics can play a part, with some families in Malta being more prone to heart disease than others. “If you find that a person has a heart attack at 40 and that patient’s brother has bypass surgery at 35, then these families need to be even more aware and more careful about their blood pressure and so on. But at the end of the day, we all need to take care of ourselves.”
There are also ways to support someone with heart disease. “If you smoke and live with a patient who also smokes, you can support that person by quitting, because it’s too much of a temptation for the patient if people around them are smoking. The second is by being careful in your eating habits and preparing the right sort of meals. The third is by encouraging them to exercise and helping them return to their normal life.”
“The main message is to share the power and take responsibility for your own heart health, meaning that if you’re overweight, you have to exercise. Check if you have diabetes so that it doesnt progress. Share the power, take action, and get regular check-ups. And if you have a condition, keep on it and keep monitoring it,” Xuereb concluded.