• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Traditional festivals in Hong Kong - Dragon Boat FestivalTraditional Festivals & Events in HK
        • 5 Reasons to Use a VPN in HK
        • South Lantau - moving to Hong KongGuide to Pui O Village, South Lantau
        • Money - for article on financial habits and wealth management5 Steps for setting realistic financial goals
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Top beaches in Hong Kong - Stanley BeachTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • Traditional festivals in Hong Kong - Dragon Boat FestivalTraditional Festivals & Events in HK
        • Public swimming pools in Hong Kong - Tung ChungBest public pools for families
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • Filling the learning gap in the COVID recovery
        • Cambridge education at CDNIS - Students on the summer learning programmeGet a Taste of a Cambridge Education in HK!
        • Bottle-feeding a baby - when is the right time to introduce a bottle?“When can I give a bottle to my baby?”
        • Public swimming pools in Hong Kong - Tung ChungBest public pools for families
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Children's books author Bhakti Mathur in hr home on the Peak Hong KongA writer’s retreat on The Peak
        • Asian furniture and home décor - Altfield swirl vases7 must-have Asian classic pieces
        • Causeway Bay apartment home makeover - Christina Standaloft and partnerSpace-savvy Causeway Bay home makeover
        • Home furniture and décor in Hong Kong - Altfield InteriorsHome news: décor, furniture & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • South Lantau - moving to Hong KongGuide to Pui O Village, South Lantau
        • Mount KinabuluClimbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah
        • Top beaches in Hong Kong - Stanley BeachTop beaches in Hong Kong
        • Considering moving to Singapore for your next expat post?
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Harbourside Grill5 Dining discoveries in Hong Kong
        • Salted Vanilla Caramel Ice Cream Balls Recipe
        • Baan Thai restaurant in Hong Kong, Thai foodTaste Test: Thai food in Hong Kong
        • Hong Kong People: Meet Amy Elkhoury
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Best foundationsFab foundations for hot climates
        • Tried and Tested: Lip glosses and lip liners
        • Teenager having a facialWhen is it time for your first facial?
        • Stretch mark treatmentHow to get rid of stretch marks
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • Menstrual cupsHave you considered a menstrual cup?
        • 6 stages of life where family medicine matters
        • pregnancy - for web article on common problems in pregnancy and how to relieve symptoms10 common problems in pregnancy & how to help
        • Cup of tea - Tips for taking care of yourself from MindnLifeAre you taking care of yourself?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
      • Magazine
      • Advertise With Us
        • March-May2022
        • March-May2022
        • March-May 2022 Issue – $36 (Free Shipping)
        • SALE! ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION PRINT & DIGITAL BUNDLE – $128 (USUAL $192.00)
      • View all
    Close

6 ways men can reduce the risk of heart disease

30 August, 2018 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/ways-men-can-reduce-the-risk-heart-disease-in-hong-kong/

Heart disease is the third most common cause of death in Hong Kong, and it affects more men than women. We sat down with Dr Jason Ko, Consultant in Cardiology at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, to find out more.

How common is heart disease in Hong Kong?

According to the Census and Statistics Department, Department of Health, heart disease accounted for 13.2 percent of all deaths in 2015; out of those, coronary heart disease accounted for 66.6 percent of deaths. Age-standardised death rates due to coronary heart disease were 36.5 for males, and 16.1 for females, per 100,000 people in 2015. What are some of the warning signs to look out for? There are numerous heart diseases with different presentations. For ischaemia (restriction in blood supply) caused by coronary artery disease, “angina pectoris” is the typical description of such a symptom. Angina pectoris is just a fancy term in Latin that means “pain of the chest”; it’s caused by an imbalance between the blood supply and the oxygen demand of the heart.

The commonest cause is narrowing of the coronary arteries (blood vessels that surround the heart). Typical symptoms include tightening chest pain that originates behind the chest ribs; patients sometimes describe it as an elephant sitting on their chest! The pain, which can be precipitated by physical exertion or emotional stress, can radiate to the jaw or left shoulder, and lasts about one to five minutes; it’s relieved by nitroglycerin. The pain intensity doesn’t change with respiration, coughing or a change in position. Sometimes patients confuse angina with other problems, or vice versa, such as gastric reflux disease, a fast heartbeat, or even coughing chest pain, for example.

Heart disease is a prevalent health issue among men
Heart disease is a prevalent health issue among men

Is it easy to treat?

Patients are given sublingual (under the tongue) nitroglycerin for quick pain relief. The definitive treatment, however, is through an operation. The usual treatment is termed “PCI” (percutaneous coronary intervention). This is a procedure to place a stent in the narrowed segment of the coronary artery. Whether the narrowing is easy to treat or not depends on how calcified and tight the lesion is and how extensively the disease has progressed. The most extensive coronary artery disease may require a coronary artery bypass graft, which is a type of open-heart surgery. However, once a patient is labelled as having coronary artery disease, they are going to have to live with it for life; the treatment strategy is to keep the disease from progressing further, or at least not as quickly.

Does the stress of life here contribute to heart attacks and hypertension?

A stressful working lifestyle can indirectly worsen hypertension, which in turn contributes to heart attacks. Stress forces our body to release stress hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline constricts heart vessels, which causes high blood pressure. Cortisol raises both our cholesterol and blood sugar levels, leading to hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes respectively. All these factors damage the blood vessels including the coronary arteries over time, until one day the blood flow is blocked, resulting in heart attacks.

What can we do to prevent cardiac issues?

#1 Quit smoking: The hazards of smoking need no further introduction. Smoking not only kills you, but also your family and the people who are forced to breathe in your cigarette fumes.

#2 Eat well: Generally, we should choose food low in fat, salt and sugar. Boiled or steamed foods are healthier than fried or grilled. Foods rich in omega 3 such as salmon, trout and herring should be considered. Foods cooked with hydrogenated oil that are high in trans fat, such as biscuits, doughnuts and pie crusts, should be avoided.

#3 Exercise well: To improve overall cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association suggests at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity).

#4 Sleep well: An average of eight hours of sleep a day prevents weight gain by reducing your appetite and better regulating your blood sugar.

#5 Watch your waist size: One indicator of fitness is girth. The World Health Organisation suggests maintaining a waist-to-hip ratio of below 0.85 for women and below 0.9 for men.

#6 Get regular check-ups. Early detection and early treatment for risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol levels are crucial in preventing coronary artery disease. So, make sure you have regular check-ups, particularly after the age of 40 for men and 50 for women. You can also try out the “My Heart Score” tool (mlc.heart.org) created by the American Heart Association to determine whether a person should visit a doctor for further heart health screening.

Hong Kong Adventist Hospital is at 40 Stubbs Road, Happy Valley | hkah.org.hk

See more in our Health & Fitness section:

Are you suffering from back pain?

‘Stress is the number one driver of men’s health issues in Hong Kong’

This article first appeared in the Oct/Nov edition of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.

Categories: Health & Fitness Medical & Dental Tags: Heart Disease Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Men's Health

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our bimonthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

You May Also Like

Children's teeth and braces, advice from Hong Kong orthodontist Dr Derek Baram

Kids and braces – all you need to know

Best running shoes for women and men Hong Kong

Trainers, Sneakers, Runners – Reviewed!

Health insurance for women

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.