This is
dedicated to those who have or are suffering from heart disease or heart
related illnesses. It is also dedicated to the younger and future generations
to come. You only have ONE HEART, take good care of it. When warning signs such
as chest pains, breathlessness, fatigue and it is an effort to get through the
day or night begins, it might just be a little too late to rectify the damage
done to your heart.
Heart and blood
vessel diseases in Malaysians, sometimes causing premature death, are on the
increase. “Over a 15-year period, from 1985 to 2000, admissions into government
hospitals for cardiovascular diseases has doubled from 59,000 to 110,000
cases”, revealed YB Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of
Malaysia.
The sad truth
is that many people still ignore the health warnings and risks. “It won’t
happen to me,” they say. The statistics says differently. “The National Heart
Institute (IJN) receives 122,000 outpatients a year and 12,000 warded patients
today as compared to 50,000 outpatients a year and 8,000 warded patients ten
years ago,” disclosed YB Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek, Minister of Health Malaysia.
Cardiovascular cases in Sarawak have increased as well with 7,626 cases in 2001
as compared to 6,190 cases in 1997.
There are
various contributing factors involved in causing heart attacks, namely, a
stressful or fast paced lifestyle, smoking, unhealthy diet, and genetics.
According to YBhg Datuk Dr. Khoo Kah Lin, Director of Heart Foundation (Yayasan
Jantung Malaysia) and Consultant Cardiologist, “The risk of having an attack
depends on factors that influence fatty plaque buildups on the coronary artery
walls, formation of artery-clogging blood clots and the strength of the heart
muscle itself.” People more likely to develop heart diseases are those who
suffer from high cholesterol, hypertension, have a family history of heart
disease, lead very stressful lives, diabetic, and/ or are smokers.
To spread awareness of the dangers that we are placing on
our hearts, the World Heart Federation organized World Heart Day to educate
people all over the world on how to look after and reduce the risk of damaging
our extraordinary hearts. This year’s World Heart Day is on Sunday, 25
September 2005, with the theme “A Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape” under the
slogan “A Heart For Life”. Next year’s World Heart Day will be fall on 24
September 2006.
The way to living an enjoyable and
full life is to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy weight and body shape,
which will significantly reduce the risk factors for heart diseases and
strokes. We can achieve this by leading a healthier lifestyle, meaning more
physical exercise, a smoke-free living, healthy nutrition and weight control.
