Facts You Need To Know About Heart Diseases

What is cardiovascular disease (CVD)¹? Cardiovascular disease is a term used for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. Acute events such as heart attacks and strokes are usually caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain due to the build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessel.

In fact, Cardiovascular Disease (CVDs) is one of the leading causes of death globally, with an estimation of 17.9 million people in 2019, according to World Health Organization. Of which, 85% were caused by heart attack and stroke.

About 38% out of the 17 million premature deaths (under age 70) were caused by CVDs. In Malaysia², about 92 stroke patients are admitted to the hospital daily.

According to health experts, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle and minimize on behavioral risks factors towards our health.

KNOW THE COMMON HEART DISEASES

1. Heart Valve Disease

Heart valve disease³ can occur when one or more of your four heart valves does not work correctly due to stenosis, or the thickening or fusing of the valve flaps, preventing the valve from fully opening; regurgitation, or leakage of a valve, causing blood to flow back into the heart; and atresia, the congenital absence of a valve opening which will prevent blood from flowing through it.

Signs and Symptoms: Heart murmurs, shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling in ankles, feet, legs and neck veins.

2. Heart Failure

Heart Failure³ is a condition in which the heart’s pumping capacity is not adequate to meet the demands for blood and oxygen required by the rest of the body. This can be the result of a range of conditions that lead to the weakening of the heart muscle.

The conditions that can be associated with the development of heart failure include Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), a prior heart attack, uncontrolled hypertension, abnormal heart valves, congenital heart disease (heart defects present at birth) and heart muscle disease.

Signs and Symptoms: Shortness of breath or trouble breathing, fatigue and swelling in ankles, feet, legs and neck veins.

3. Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)⁴ develops when cholesterol builds up on the artery walls, creating plaques. These plaques cause the arteries to narrow, reducing blood flow to the heart, or can cause inflammation in and hardening of the walls of the blood vessel which sometimes obstruct blood flow, causing serious health problems.

Signs and Symptoms: Angina, or chest pain that often feels like pressure or squeezing. It can also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.

4. Arrhythmia

Cardiac arrhythmia⁵ refers to a group of conditions that cause the heart to beat irregular, too slowly, or too quickly and it occurs when the electrical signals that coordinate heartbeats are not working correctly. An irregular heartbeat may feel like a racing heart or fluttering.

There are several categories of arrhythmia, including:

a. Bradycardia, or a slow heartbeat

b. Tachycardia, or a fast heartbeat

c. Irregular heartbeat, also known as a flutter or fibrillation

d. Early heartbeat, or a premature contraction

Most arrhythmias are not severe and do not cause complications. Some, however, can increase the risk of stroke or cardiac arrest.

Signs and Symptoms: Heart palpitations, slow heartbeat and pauses between heartbeats.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASES

Prevention is always better than cure. Here are some handy tips to reduce heart diseases:

1. Stop Smoking⁶

If you smoke, quit! If someone in your household smokes, encourage them to quit as well. We know it's tough, but it's tougher to recover from a heart attack or stroke or to live with chronic heart disease.

2. Choose Food with Good Nutrition⁶

Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best approach to fight against cardiovascular disease. The types of food you eat (and the amount) can affect other controllable risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and overweight. Choose a diet that emphasizes intake of:

a. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

b. Low-fat dairy products

c. Poultry, fish, legumes

d. Non-tropical vegetable oils, and nuts

e. Limits intake of sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats.

3. Keep Blood Pressure⁶ at a Healthy level

Stroke recovery is a difficult journey and there is a high possibility that you could be disabled for life. Shake off that salt habit, take your medications as recommended by your doctor and get moving. Those numbers need to get down and stay down. An optimal blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 mmHg.

4. Aim for a Healthy Weight⁶

A healthy diet with nutrition-packed food, controlling calories intake and having consistent exercise habits are the ways of maintaining a healthy weight. Having obesity will put you at risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, a precursor of type 2 diabetes — the very factors that heighten your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Do keep an eye on your Body Mass Index (BMI) as it helps to tell you whether your weight is at a healthy level.

5. Limit Alcohol Intake⁷

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. It also contains high calories count, which may cause weight gain. Both of these factors will increase your risk of heart diseases. The recommended portion for men should be no more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and women should not have more than one drink per day.

6. Have Enough Sleep⁷

The risks of getting high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes which lead to heart disease are higher when we do not get enough sleep. Hence, it is always good to maintain a good sleeping habit with 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.