As our country improves its standards of living, this could lead to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. With this change in pace, heart disease and stroke deaths remain the number one killer in Malaysia. According to The Heart Foundation of Malaysia, heart and blood vessel diseases claim twice as many lives compared to cancer in Malaysia
Education is just as important when it comes to prevention of heart disease and it comes at a timely manner because World Heart Day falls on the 29th of September. Here’re a few things to know about heart disease and ways to protect yourself.
- Heart attack happens when blood supply to a part of the heart muscle is very much reduced or stopped. This stems from the artery being blocked by a blood clot formed on plaque caused by atherosclerosis.
- Heart attacks are due to diseased blood vessels in the heart and is commonly referred to as coronary artery disease.
- Congestive heart failure is when the heart muscle is damaged or overworked. The damage could be due to a variety of reasons including high blood pressure, a heart attack, congenital heart disease, rheumatic fever and more.
- Bacterial endocarditis is a condition where the heart valves or tissues lining the heart has a serious infection. This is rare but often life-threatening to people with abnormally-structured hearts or prosthetic heart valves.
- Menopausal hormone therapy is used to prevent osteoporosis but do speak to your doctor about the possible risks for heart attacks, stroke, and blood clots.
