Heart Disease Becomes Brunei's Top Killer

Bandar Seri Begawan - Heart disease has become Brunei's No 1 killer. And cases of Coronary Heart Disease are on the rise in the sultanate.

In 1996, 88 deaths resulting from the disease were recorded and this number increased to nearly three folds to 260 in 2001.

In an interview with Radio Television Brunei (RTB), Dr William Chong, Senior Medical Officer, RIPAS Hospital said that apart from the increase in the number, the hospital is also now seeing younger patients with heart problems.

Dr Chong said that coronary heart disease is the first major cause of death in Brunei. This is based on the statistics collected on the mortality deaths recorded in the country.

Cardiac investigations as mentioned by Dr Chong, are several tests conducted at the RIPAS hospital's Cardiology Department.

This includes exercise stress test where the patient run on a treadmill and exercise for several minutes until the patient develop chest pain.

If the patient develops chest pain, then there's a change in the monitoring of the heart indicating heart disease.

A study of patients with the disease and subsequently referred for cardio intervention shows that more than half the patients have already developed severe coronary artery disease which could be attributed to multiple risk factors, lack of awareness and lack of early detection.

Studies published in Brunei indicate high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in the country.

40.7% of patients who have diabetes also develop hypertension thus increasing the risk of heart disease.

It was noted that the incidence of diabetes and hypertension increase after the age of 40.

This information should be assimilated with the fact that elderly population in the country is fast increasing.

It was also found from a sample of 123, by gender distribution, male accounted for nearly 66% of coronary heart disease sufferers while females consisted of nearly 34 percent of the cases. Most patients were within 40 to 85 years old.

According to statistics, the population of Brunei males and females over the age of 65 years has more than doubled over the 10 years since 1991.

The Ministry of Health is prudent in visualizing that the incidence of heart disease will more than double over the same period.

This has already happened over the last five years. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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