Nor is it the outbreaks we read about in South East Asian news every other year. We hear more about things like Zika because they’re easy to sensationalize in the media. It’s time we look at the bigger picture.
The top cause of death in Malaysia is ischaemic heart disease.
That is, according the Department of Statistics, as of 2014. This the full list:
- Ischaemic heart diseases
- Pneumonia
- Cerebrovascular diseases
- Septicaemia
- Transport accidents
- Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung
- Diseases of the liver
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Certain conditions originating from the prenatal period
- Malignant neoplasm of breast
Ischaemic heart disease, a phrase you could probably go your whole life without hearing, is also known as coronary heart disease. For the uninitiated, it’s a condition where your blood vessels get narrowed or blocked.
In other words, heart attacks.
Statistically speaking, your heart is more likely to kill you than your brain, lungs, or liver. More likely than even car crashes.
It wouldn’t be odd if our neighbours had the same stats. That’s not the case, though. Singapore’s number one killer is cancer and Thailand’s is stroke.
So what’s going on?
We may have ourselves to blame
There’s a simple explanation by Dr. Omar, deputy director of the Ministry of Health Disease Control Division.
When commenting on hypertension, diabetes and heart problems as the main killers of Malaysians, he points out bad lifestyle habits, include smoking, unhealthy diets and lack of exercise.
Most of us are guilty of at least one of these things. Think about it. If you work in an office job, you’ll be sedentary for hours each day. And many of us are food lovers, too.
It’s also worth noting that 47% of Malaysians are overweight or obese.
So we’re not taking this for granted, and neither should you.
Prevention begins today
You’ve heard it before, but your best bet on preventing this is as simple as a lifestyle change.
Start by cutting down on foods that are high on bad cholesterol. You don’t want too much of those clogged in your blood vessels.
In fact, get a blood test at your nearest clinic if you haven’t done so before. Your doctor can explain the numbers to you. If you already have high cholesterol, start eating whole grains, beans, and nuts.
Secondly, get more active!
The very minimum is dead simple. If you sit around staring at your computer all day, just get up more often. Stretch your legs, get a drink. Then work your way up to taking the stairs instead of the lift. And spend less time getting the closest possible parking spot. Just keep moving.
And don’t forget to get yourself insured.
Even if you’re skinny and healthy right now, do it before you have any medical history (it’ll be crazy expensive by then). Visit any reputable insurance company for medical insurance, or you can consult us about medical insurance on our Facebook page. It will be worth every penny.
So don’t be statistic, you guys. Take care of your heart.
Visit us at https://www.policystreet.com/ to learn more about health and life insurance so you could cover you wealthy health!
