Heart Disease Can Happen at Any Age

While we have generally been raised to believe that heart disease only happens in the elderly-that is simply not true. It can happen at any age and more worryingly, in recent years, there has been a rise in heart disease amongst younger people (aged 35 – 64). Therefore, going for regular health check-ups are crucial especially if you have the following risk factors and lifestyle:

High blood pressure
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 3 out of 10 Malaysian adults have hypertension. This means the heart has to work under increased pressure—this can lead to heart failure, thickening of the heart muscle, coronary artery disease, and not to mention, stroke.

High cholesterol levels
High levels of cholesterol can lead to fatty deposits developing in the blood vessels—narrowing them (also known as atherosclerosis) and restricting blood flow.

Smoking
Smoking also contributes to atherosclerosis. In addition, the chemicals found in cigarette smoke can thicken blood and result in clots forming within veins and arteries.

Obesity
Not only does this lead to buildup of plaque in the arteries—but additional weight also translates to more stress on the heart as it has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.

A sedentary lifestyle
Did you know that according to the World Population Review 2019, 15.6 per cent of Malaysian adults are obese—which is the highest rate in Southeast Asia? The heart is a muscle and the more you work a muscle, the stronger it becomes.

The above are all conditions which you can control. Going for routine health screenings will give you the information you need about your body to make smarter and better decisions to protect your heart.

This article was contributed by Dr Nandakumar Ramakrishnan, Consultant Cardiologist at Pantai Hospital Ampang. To know more about where and when to see Dr Nandakumar Ramakrishnan at his clinic, click here.