‘The StarLIVE: Take Charge of Your Heart’ attendees getting free health checks during the event at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
About 30% of cholesterol produced by the body is due to one’s lifestyle, a cardiologist says.
Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL) consultant cardiologist Dr Suren Thuraisingham said the rest was influenced by genetics.
“When you have high bad cholesterol, which is low-density lipoprotein (LDL), it has to be treated,” he said, adding that exercise alone had minimal effect on bad cholesterol.
Dr Suren, who has decades of experience in interventional cardiology, was one of three speakers at the “StarLIVE: Take Charge of Your Heart” event at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, in conjunction with World Heart Day.
The Saturday event was a collaboration between Star Media Group and CVSKL.
In his talk titled “Living Life #Unblocked: Cholesterol Explained”, Dr Suren advised the public to avoid trans fats and encouraged individuals with family history of heart conditions to undergo cardiovascular risk profiling.
“Adopt a sensible diet,” he said, also remarking that the majority of medical-related information on social media – sometimes by self-proclaimed experts − was inaccurate.
“These pieces of medical advice are not backed by proper medical studies,” he said, urging the public to be cautious when consuming unverified healthcare information.
Other speakers at the event were CVSKL consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist Datuk Dr Razali Omar and consultant cardiologist Datuk Dr David Chew Soon Ping.
On the topic “Heart Failure Has No Age: Why More Young Adults Are Affected”, Dr Chew said patients who suffered from heart failure conditions should only engage in mild forms of exercise, with walking being a recommended option.
“Three to four hours of mild exercise weekly, such as walking, is encouraged,” he said.
“Managing blood pressure, diabetes and weight is also crucial for heart patients,” he added.
Dr Chew explained that not all heart attacks were fatal, but some resulted in heart failure and atrial fibrillation which could lead to shortness of breath.
Meanwhile, Dr Razali discussed the benefits of smartwatches and mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) devices in detecting irregular heartbeats.
“These devices can help people monitor and record irregular heart rate episodes and alert them when needed.
“This information can then be brought to doctors for further assessment.
“They are also useful for post-procedure monitoring,” he said during his talk on “A Fluttering Heart and the Hidden Stroke Risk”.
He added that some smartwatches were capable of detecting atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm which could increase the risk of stroke.
About 200 people attended the talk.
Attendee Selvakumaran Muthusamy, 52, shared that some of his peers who were active in sports had died from heart attacks.
“This event was insightful. We learned that genetics play a large role, while lifestyle has a lesser impact on cholesterol levels,” he said.
Margret Lim, 87, said she attended the talk to stay updated on cardiovascular health.
“I was a nurse and used to run full marathons up to the age of 60.
“I make time to attend talks like this to stay informed,” she said.
Ng Leong, 74, gave the event a thumbs-up, calling it eye-opening.
“I have learned that I need to monitor my bad cholesterol and take action to prevent cardiovascular diseases,” he said.
Adriene Teh, who cares for her 90-year-old mother, also found the session valuable, saying: “What’s important is being aware of early warning signs like irregular heartbeat.”
All attendees received RM50 health scan vouchers, while a lucky draw gave away two RM799 health screening vouchers from HealthScan Malaysia, CVSKL’s dedicated screening centre.
