Increase in young adults suffering from heart diseases worrying, says IJN CEO

SHAH ALAM: Health experts are concerned over the increasing number of young adults suffering from heart diseases in the country.
National Heart Institute (IJN) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub said with heart diseases still the number one cause of death in the country, it is worrying to see the number of young adults suffering from heart diseases increasing over the last 10 years.
The usual average age for those with heart diseases is in the 50's, he pointed.
"We now have people going for bypass surgeries as young as in their early 30's. This is not a healthy sign as a community in Malaysia.
"This is a consequence of a progressing country. We are not as active as the generations before us and food is easily available," he told reporters after participating in the 'Run For Your Heart' 2016 fun run at the National Botanical Garden, here, today.
Mohd Azhari said with some 30% of the population suffering from diabetes and 50% from obesity, and with them proving to be 'ingredients' for heart problems, it is vital for the country to address the root of the problem.
He said it is also now becoming a culture in Malaysia that physical activities are not being encouraged as much as they were used to.
"This is because there are a lot of excuses like the hot weather, raining in the evening and what not. The health fraternity, government and private alike, needs to play their part in raising the awareness of the importance of health," he added.
Some 3,000 participants from all walks of life took part in the third biannual Heart Run organised by IJN.