Love Your Heart

04 January 2020

 

The heart is one of the strongest muscles in the body. It works every second of your life to pump blood continuously to every part of your body. When the artery supplying blood to the heart is interrupted, you may experience angina (chest pain) and if it is completely blocked, you may have a heart attack. A heart attack or stroke may be the first warning of an underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although CVD, including heart disease and stroke, mostly affects affluent, male and older populations, it can also affect all ages and population groups, including women and children.

Know Your Heart Facts

1. CVD has been the No. 1 killer in Malaysia since 1970.
2. About 1-in-4 deaths in the government hospitals are due to CVD.
3. About 1-in-4 Malaysian women die of a heart attack. The total number of deaths is 2.5 times higher than that of all types of cancers combined.
4. Malaysians suffer from a heart attack at a younger age (average age of 56) as compared to their western counterparts (average age of 65).  
5. About 35% of Malaysian adults have high blood cholesterol. Other heart disease risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes.

Show Your Heart Some Love!

You can prevent heart disease and stroke by making some changes to your lifestyle, and here are four suggestions:-

1. Be active.
   Get at least 30 minutes of regular aerobic exercise on most days of the week. However, physical activity is not limited to only exercise. You can also play outdoor games with the children, take the stairs instead of the elevator, do household chores and be involved in gardening activities. You can also park your car further away from the office or shopping complex so you can have a short walk.
2. Eat healthily.
   Keep a sensible diet, reduce salt and sugar intake. Eat more fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts. Cut down on fat and red meat and sugar-containing beverages. Limit alcohol intake to one drink a day.
3. Stop smoking.
   Second-hand tobacco smoke causes 600,000 deaths among non-smokers, including children. Smoking doubles your risk of having a heart attack, so quit it for the benefit of you and your loved ones. Once you stop smoking for 15 years, your risk of CVD is similar to that of someone who has never smoked.
4. Consume supplements.
   Fibre supplements are great to cut down cholesterol, so strive to get at least 25-30g fibre daily. Good options are psyllium husk, oat bran, fruits, grains, vegetables and legumes. Consume various types of nuts, seeds and grains so you can get plant sterols to promote healthy cholesterol levels. Other heart-healthy supplements include coenzyme q10, fish oil, ginkgo biloba, red yeast rice and olive leaf extract.

References:

1. National Heart Association of Malaysia. Available at www.malaysianheart.org.
2. The Heart Foundation of Malaysia. Available at www.yjm.org.my.
3. UK National Health Services. Available at www.nhs.uk.
4. WebMD. Available at www.webmd.com.
5. World Heart Federation. Available at www.world-heart-federation.org.

Tags: heart

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