Heart disease still leading cause of death for Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR: Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death among Malaysians for 13 years, from 2005 to 2017, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.

However, he attributed the increase in heart disease to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as obesity and unhealthy diets and lifestyles.

“The increase in the ageing population also contributed to the increase in the number of heart patients. With a longer life expectancy, continuous treatment will be required.

“By 2040, it is estimated that the population of Malaysians aged 65 and above will exceed six million, which is 14.5% of the total population. This means the burden of coronary heart disease is expected to multiply in the near future,” he said at the opening of the Tung Shin Hospital Cardiac Care Service Centre yesterday.

Lee said the increase in mortality rate due to heart disease was also worrying as it had seen an spike of 54% over 10 years with 13,503 deaths in 2017 compared to 8,776 in 2007.

“The average age of people getting heart disease in Malaysia is 58, much younger than in other countries.

“In Thailand, the average age of people getting heart disease is 65; Singapore, 61; China, 63; the US, 66; and Canada, 68,” he said.

In a separate matter, Lee said parents should not think of vaccination as causing health problems to their children, let alone claim that it can lead to disabilities.

“We have evidence that vaccination is effective and can prevent many diseases such as rubella, tuberculosis and tetanus.

“More than 98% of the population has been vaccinated against those diseases. Parents who still doubt the effectiveness of vaccination can lodge official complaints, and we will carry out investigations.

“There are other factors that contribute to the health problems of children,” he said.

This comes after health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s plea to parents to comply with the National Immunisation Schedule and not to believe in false propaganda on social media about the harmful effects of vaccines. -FMT