Bandar Seri Begawan - Heart diseases accounted for 19.3 per cent of total deaths in Brunei last year, with the most common cause of heart attacks being coronary artery disease. The Minister of Education said.

Speaking at the Second International Cardiac Conference Brunei Darussalam 2009 yesterday, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said that 17 million people a year are killed by heart diseases and strokes globally.

"(These figures amount) to almost one-third of all deaths globally. By 2020, heart diseases and strokes will become the leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, with the number of fatalities projected to increase to over 20 million a year, and over 24 million by 2030," he said.

In the fight against heart disease, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi stressed the need for public health education and awareness.

"In Brunei, cardiovascular diseases are the leading medical problem. We hope through primary prevention, early detection and prompt treatment, the number of heart disease cases can be significantly reduced," he said.

The minister stressed that having such preventative measures significantly reducing the number of deaths and disabilities from heart diseases would come from "people action and education".

"We don't have all the answers as to how we can get the message through to people about heart-healthy lifestyles, but we do know that we must persist with sustained public education," he added. Homes, schools and communities also had a part to play, he said.

He urged the public to "pay more attention" to their hearts by undergoing regular checkups and exercising regularly, as the number of people dying of heart failure after suffering heart attacks has been escalating over the past two decades.

"It is imperative to develop a new paradigm for screening sub-clinical atherosclerosis and prevent its transition to deadly and costly clinical and symptomatic stages," he said.

The minister said that Gleneagles JPMC, a cardiac specialist outpatient centre in Jerudong set up as a joint venture between the Brunei government and Singapore healthcare group Parkway health, has conducted more than 5,000 angiograms, angioplasties and heart surgeries from May 2003 to September 2009.

"I am very pleased to note that audited outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (angioplasty) and coronary artery bypass grafting is comparable, if not superior to major centres in the region and in Europe," he said, adding that Gleneagles JPMC was becoming a medical tourist destination in Brunei.

More than 80 Brunei medical professionals and invited foreign speakers attended the one-day conference at The Empire Hotel and Country Club.

Most of the participants also attended a pre-conference dinner and medical lecture on "The Role of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) from Hypertension to Heart Failure" delivered by Prof Abd Rashid Abd Rahma, from College of Medical Sciences at Cyberjaya University in Malaysia on Saturday night.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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