Kuala Lumpur, Jan 18- Due to an unhealthy lifestyle of consuming high salt and fat, smoking, and lack of exercise, Malaysians are urged to get their blood pressure checked at least once a year to detect any risk of experiencing hypertension (high blood pressure).
Consultant Cardiologist Universiti Teknologi Mara, Assoc Prof Dr Sazzli Shahlan Kasim said only a doctor can diagnose the silent killer because it has no symptoms and could become serious if left untreated.
“There are about eight to 10 million Malaysians suffering from hypertension but only three to five million know they have it.
“They have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular complications like heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and stroke,” he told reporters.
Dr Sazzli said this at the 11th Annual Scientific Meeting of Malaysian Society of Hypertension (MSH) 2014 beginning Friday until Jan 19 and launching of the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on Hypertension by Ministry of Health director-general, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in the capital, Friday.
Also present were MSH President, Prof Datin Dr Chia Yook Chin and the Malaysian Hypertension Guidelines Working Group chairman, Prof Dr Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.
According to Dr Abdul Rashid, the guidelines aim to assist public and private sector stakeholders and healthcare providers in the management of hypertension and seek a common goal to improve the quality of care and treatment of the disease.
Apart from that, he said patients, who are diagnosed with hypertension, should seek proper treatment and medication from doctors instead of relying on traditional medicines and myths.
“Some of the younger patients refuse to take the medicine prescribed by hospitals because they think it’s ‘poisonous’ and has many side effects. But they don’t realise that they will suffer greater effects if they do not take it,” said Dr Abdul Rashid.
Meanwhile in her speech, Dr Chia stressed that it was better to nip the problem in the bud, rather than allowing it to escalate and lead to complications.
According to the fourth National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2011 by the health ministry, hypertension affects 32.7 percent of those aged 18 years and above in Malaysia.
The survey indicates that this statistic is compounded by many cases, up to 19.8 percent, remaining undiagnosed.
-Bernama
