A Heart for Health

Cardiovascular health relates to the health of the heart and blood vessels. It also relates to the health of organs that are critically dependent on a strong blood supply. As such, it’s crucial that one takes care of its cardiovascular system as it leads to problems like coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and peripheral vascular diseases.

In a bid to promote better cardiovascular and heart health amongst the public in general, MBG has sponsored fruits in various running campaigns in the city including the MidValley Charity Run 2014 and Klang Centro Run.

Heart disease, the No. 1 killer

Currently, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of adults in many countries globally, including Malaysia. It is estimated that around 600,000 people die of heart diseases in the US every year, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths, with coronary heart disease being the most common killer, accounting for over 385,000 deaths annually.

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of deaths at the Malaysian health ministry’s hospitals. In fact, heart disease was the No. 1 killer in the country for the past three decades.

Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, Deputy Director of Disease Control Ministry said in the recent Heart Exhibition that 1 in 4 Malaysians have some form of heart disease and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause (about 35%) of deaths in individuals aged less than 60 years in Malaysia. More than 8,000 new heart patients are recorded annually.

According to Puan Ainalida Mohamad Jamil, IJN’s Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, there are 2.2 million outpatient attendances and 238,453 inpatient cases at IJN over a span of 22 years. The bad news is the stats are climbing year by year!

“We handle over 3,800 heart surgeries and 10,000 procedures in a year. What worries is that the age of heart patients are getting younger with emerging lifestyle issues. Our records shows that the youngest patient acquired heart attack is at 29 years old.” said Puan Aina.

Malaysians, the most obese in South-East Asia

Many Malaysians are jeopardising their heart health without realising it. It is estimated that 26.6% of people with high cholesterol are unaware of their condition, while for every new patient diagnosed with diabetes, there are another two out there, undiagnosed. Hypertension also afflicts more than 12 million Malaysians.

Malaysia has earned the dubious ‘honour’ of having the highest obesity rates in South-East Asia, and is ranked in the top 20 among ‘obese’ nations around the world! Current findings by the Health Ministry also revealed that 2 in every 5 adults are either overweight or obese, making Malaysians the fattest folks in South-East Asia.

In Malaysia, 1 in 4 women die of a heart attack – a trend that has remained consistent over the last decade. The total number of deaths from heart disease is reportedly 2.5 times higher than that of all types of cancers combined.

The most common health problems in the country are heart and cholesterol-related disease and stroke – which mirror lifestyle problems like improper nutrition, emotional issues, lack of exercise etc. Many Malaysians are regularly eating too much and exercising too little. Malaysia ranks as the 10th laziest country in the world in terms of physical inactivity.

Adnan advised the public to observe a healthier diet regime with less sugar, oil and salt. “Make fruits part of your staple diet. Fruits like kiwi, apples, berries and bananas are great as they contain generous amount of antioxidants, fibre and nutrients.”

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For more information on MBG’s “Health Is Wealth” campaign, please log on www.mbg.com.my