M’sia has younger coronary heart patients — DPM
KUALA LUMPUR: The average age of coronary heart patients in Malaysia is 59, which is much younger compared with the developed countries, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said based on the age range of coronary heart patients in Malaysia, they were five to six years younger with those having the disease in developed countries.
As heart attack is the most common heart disease in Malaysian society, she expressed the need for the people to prevent themselves from getting the disease by living a healthy lifestyle.
“Changing one’s way of life to a healthier lifestyle is important,” she said when launching the World Heart Day celebration by Universiti Malaya Medical Centre here yesterday.
She said the risk of getting a heart attack was closely linked to the lifestyle of the person concerned, as well as whether the person had noncommunicable diseases ( NCD) such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, and whether they were smokers.
Dr Wan Azizah said what was worrying was that there was an increase in NCD cases.
“As a result, many people have heart diseases and various health complications in the form of other chronic diseases,” she added.
She said the meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Healthy Living Environment, which she chaired on Nov 1, served as a platform to discuss and identify action to address NCD.
Dr Wan Azizah said among the
As a result, many people have heart diseases and various health complications in the form of other chronic diseases.
key policies tabled in the 2019 Budget was to impose excise tax on sugar-contained drinks.
He said the ministry also has 10 hospitals that offered treatment for heart problems and seven hospitals that offered heart surgery .
“University hospitals under the Education Ministry also offer heart treatment and surgery, including PPUM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre ( PPUKM), Universiti Teknologi Mara Hospital and Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM),” she added.
Dr Wan Azizah said cardiovascular disease remained the main cause of death in hospitals under the Health Ministry, totalling 10,284 deaths or 22.62 per cent of the total deaths reported in 2017.
At the event, Dr Wan Azizah opened the main operation theatre and the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU) of PPUM which had been upgraded at a cost of RM66.6 million.
The deputy prime minister also witnessed the handing- over of a cheque for RM1.5 million by Sime Darby Foundation for PPUM to help bear the medical cost of heart patients until 2020. — Bernama
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister