The Heart

If you're like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for others. But heart disease is
the number one killer in the U.S. and so do our country Malaysia. It is also a major cause of disability.
Heart disease is an umbrella term for any type of disorder that affects the heart. Heart disease
means the same as cardiac disease but not cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease refers to
disorders of the blood vessels and heart, while heart disease refers to just the heart. But now,
according to the National Heart Association of Malaysia states that heart disease is the number one
killer among Malaysia women! It is also a two-and-a-half times as common as dying from all cancers
combined.

In 2011, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS IV) revealed some alarming
statistics, including the fact that Malaysian women had the highest body mass index (BMI) in the
South-East Asian region. Women’s symptoms differ slightly from men’s and this mean they often
don’t realise that they actually have heart issues. Women may sometimes feel the pain at their chest,
or perhaps a dull ache in the jaw or back, or in their tummy, nausea or shortness of breath, however,
they don’t take this things seriously as they think these symptoms are just normal or just the sign of
stress, so they book a massage instead of going to see doctors for a heart screening! This is not how
the way it should be. If you suspect a heart attack, go call an ambulance straight away. Don’t
procrastinate. Because our life is worth living and our heart is worth to keep. However, the important
step is to recognise early symptoms of a heart attack and get treatment for it immediately.

What should we do to save our heart? So here are the 5 life-saving facts that we need to look
up to in order to keep our heart healthy. The first one is that heart disease affects women. We
generally hear that heart disease is seen as an old man’s problem but the reality is both can also be
the victim of this disease. Next, heart attack symptoms in women and men are often different. What
is meant by this is both men and women can have typical symptoms of heart problems-severe chest
pain and cold sweat. But women often show more subtle signs. The third one is you can be slim and
young but still in danger of “silent killers”. Conditions like high blood pressure and high blood
cholesterol, if left unchecked, this can cause a heart attack. This is why they’re called silent killers as
they don’t show any symptoms at all. Besides, the fourth of life-saving facts is you can die of broken
heart. Women who suffer terrible stress like losing their loved ones, can somehow damage their
heart. This “Broken Heart Syndrome” happens when a surge of stress hormones constricts heart
arteries. And the last one is “there’s plenty you can do to reduce your risk.” Eat healthily, exercise
regularly, get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly and stop smoking.
 There are some ways to better heart health that we can follow so we won’t get involved
with all the diseases. The first and foremost is eat breakfast , but don’t eat dinner too late. This is
because skipping breakfast may increase the chances of having a heart attack. A study published in
the American Heart Association journal Circulation found that the participants in the study who
skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease than
those who didn’t. Also, those who eat meal at late night, had a 55% higher coronary heart disease
risk than those who didn’t. So what’s the moral? Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and
dinner like a pauper.

Don’t smoke! If you are a social smoker, you’ve got a higher risk of developing several chronic
disorders. Studies show that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease which
leads to having a heart attack. The contents in a cigarette also can harm our bodies. Even a single
daily cigarette can raise your odds for an early death. The WHO calls tobacco “the single most
preventable cause of death in the world”. So think of it before you want to smoke.

What else to get a better heart health? It is the food that we take everyday. President of the
Nutrition Society of Malaysia and nutritionist Dr Tee E Siong, says excessive intake of energy (derived
mostly from fat and simple sugars), animal fats , high cholesterol food and lack of dietary fibre can
lead to obesity problems. Practise healthier cooking methods like steaming or grilling instead of
frying as much as possible in order to minimise fat intake.

As we know, there are many of risk factors for developing heart disease. So let’s see what are
those risk factors. First and foremost, age. We used to say that age is just a number but it is actually
more than that. As we are getting older, we will undergoing the aging process. Aging increase our risk
of damage and narrowed arteries and also weakened or thickened heart muscle. Hence, the older we
get, it is easier for us to expose to heart disease. Second, the risk factor is smoking. Nicotine
constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage the inner lining, making them more
susceptible to atherosclerosis. Therefore, we often heard that smokers are the common victims of
heart disease than non smokers.

High blood pressure is also one of the risk factors for developing heart disease. Uncontrolled
high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels,
through which blood flows. Same goes to high blood cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol in
your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis.

In a nutshell, we can make the changes gradually one at a time. Remember that heart
disease can happen at any age. Just because you are young doesn’t mean you are not at risk of heart
problem. Therefore, keeping your heart healthy starts right now and you can start by watching your
diet and exercises regularly.