KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 – Heart disease has long been perceived as a condition predominantly affecting the elderly, but an alarming number of young Malaysians are now falling victim to this ‘silent killer’.
Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City’s (SMC) Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Richard Chan Tze Ming, said recent medical studies have shown that an increasing number of young Malaysians have been afflicted with ischemic heart disease, rather known as heart attacks, in the past decade.
He said in Malaysia, deaths due to ischemic heart disease are on the rise, with statistics showing an increase from 9,300 cases in 2010 to 20,300 cases in 2022.
“Also observed was a troubling trend of patients in their 20s and 30s coming in with heart attacks. This shift is a cause for concern and indicates that changes are urgently needed,” he told Bernama during an interview recently.
Dr Richard said several factors contribute to the rise of heart attacks among Malaysians, including sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary choices and smoking habits, on top of unavoidable predispositions such as family history and genetics.
“Our society has become more digital, leading to less physical activity. Many young people spend their days sitting in front of computers or engaged in screen-based entertainment,” he said.
He added that regular unmanaged emotional stress, such as those related to the workplace, personal relationships and financial woes, could also indirectly cause heart diseases.
“Emotional distress could indirectly lead to heart disease by causing high blood pressure and other related conditions. We are also seeing cases of ‘broken heart syndrome,’ where extreme stress leads to sudden heart failure.
“Broken heart syndrome is a condition where the heart suddenly fails to work because the areas of the heart become weak due to neurohormonal reactions. So, whenever there are extreme emotions, the hormones released could damage the heart,” he said.
According to Dr Richard, preventing heart disease requires significant lifestyle changes, and as such, Malaysians are advised to engage in regular physical activity, adopt a healthy diet and avoid smoking.
