Coronary heart patients in Malaysia younger than in developed countries

KUALA LUMPUR,  Nov 19  (Bernama) – 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 the developed countries.

Being heart attack the most common heart disease in the 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’s Heart Day celebration by  Universiti Malaya Medical centre here today.

She said the risk of getting a heart attack was closely linked  to the lifestyle of the person’s concerned, as well as whether the person had non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, smoking, etc.

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 last Nov 1 served as a platform to discuss and identify action to address NCD.   

Dr Wan Azizah said among the key policies  tabled in the 1029 Budget  was to impose excise tax on sugar-contained drinks.

He said the ministry also have 10 hospitals that offered treatment of heart problems and seven hospitals that offered heart surgery .

"University hospitals under the Education Ministry also offer heart treatment and surgey , including  PPUM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre  (PPUKM),  Universiti Teknologi Mara Hospital and dan 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 death or 22.62 per cent of the total death 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