Heart disease is the number one killer among Malaysian women and is two
and a half times more common than dying from all cancers combined, the National
Heart Association of Malaysia said yesterday.
Dr Azhari Rosman, president of
the association, dispelled the common perception that only older men were prone
to heart diseases and strokes.
“Women must maintain a high index
of suspicion,” he said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“Cancer does not take as many
lives as cardiovascular diseases. Women also tend to dismiss pain more easily
than men and generally have a higher pain threshold.”
Dr Azhari said the latest 2011
National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS IV) had revealed some alarming
statistics, including the fact that Malaysian women had the highest body mass
index (BMI) in the South-East Asian region.
“Obesity is the harbinger of many
conditions,” he said. “The NHMS IV study reports that out of 17,000 women
surveyed, 29.4 per cent were overweight while 15 per cent were obese.”
Dr Azhari, a consultant
cardiologist at the National Heart Institute, said that Malaysian women also
had one of the highest prevalence of hypertension in South-East Asia, even more
than men.
He said women also formed a 60
per cent majority of Malaysians who had elevated total cholesterol levels,
another factor that contributed to heart disease.
Dr Azhari said that data also
showed that most Malaysians were admitted to the hospital for Acute Coronary
Syndrome around the age of 59 years.
“This is seven years below the
average in other countries which is around 66 years.
“We have also treated a
19-year-old for heart disease and done a heart bypass on a 21-year-old,” he
revealed.
Dr Azhari stressed that creating
awareness among the public was critical as heart disease was “completely
preventable” if detected early.
To this end, he said the Women's
Heart Health Organisation (WH2O) was created to educate the public and
healthcare providers that women were susceptible to heart diseases and strokes
too.
In line with National Heart Day
on September 29, NHAM, in collaboration with the Malaysian Heart Foundation, has
organised a “Walk A Mile” activity at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa on September 30.
They will also have other
physical activities and health screenings.
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