An Interview With A Cardiologist

The Heart Explained 

For many years, the heart has been stereotyped as an organ that controls human emotions, such as pain, sadness from a heartbreak or euphoria - but that really is the work of the brain. The heart has a different function, a vital one is that it keeps us effective, functioning and most importantly, alive! 

What does the heart do then?

The heart is the primary organ for our circulatory system which has a single function of pumping blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. However, with modern living, the unhealthy changes we bring to our lifestyle, may have higher influence towards the heart’s shelf life or in other words, can be forced to shut down. Hence, it is crucial to acknowledge that our heart matters and we must protect them at any cost. 

Key Facts 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are long-term, chronic illnesses that, if left untreated, could be fatal. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of untimely deaths worldwide, killing about 17.9 million people each year, followed by cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. The primary call of response to the disease includes early detection, screening, treatment or in some cases, palliative care for patients with CVDs. Children, adults, the elderly, and populations with comorbidities are all disproportionately affected by CVD. The severity of the disease is explicitly driven by various factors; countries with an ageing population such as Japan, Indonesia or Bangladesh, increased urbanisation, insufficient physical exercise, and health damaging lifestyles. [1]

A Doctor’s Guide: Understanding Cardiovascular Disease

Malaysia has gained a global reputation as the Cardiology Hub of Asia for providing world-class care at an affordable rate for our healthcare travellers. Malaysia’s leading cardiology hospital, the National Heart Institute (Institut Jantung Negara) have made several breakthroughs since its inception for over 30 years with more than 4 million healthcare travellers across the globe having received their heart treatments and health care thus far. 

The country has produced many experts and think tanks across the medical fraternity which adds to the nation’s reputation of having one of the best healthcare systems. We are proud and grateful to have one of the greatest minds from the cardiology field, Dato’ Dr. Azmee bin Mohd Ghazi, who is a Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Director of Heart Failure and Heart Transplant from the National Heart Institute (IJN), for coming onboard with us to share his insight on cardiovascular disease in conjunction with World Heart Day. 

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/IfGRm7fsfwY

Malaysia has an affordable and accessible healthcare system especially in delivering quality health care with highly skilled groups of specialists. Our healthcare institutions are equipped with world-class devices, technology and facilities, making them a preferred choice for medical treatments. Malaysia Healthcare strives to bring the best healthcare experience for all our healthcare travellers for many more years to come. 

Apart from IJN, our equally reputable hospitals such as the Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL), Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur, KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital and more can now be our healthcare travellers’ best choice to initiate their first steps in protecting their hearts. 

To know more about the treatments offered and to truly experience Malaysia Healthcare, please visit the link here: https://malaysiahealthcare.org/medical-specialities/cardiology/ 

References

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=The%20main%20types%20of%20NCD,disease%20and%20asthma
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• https://www.who.int/health-topics/hypertension/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1 
• https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2022/01/06/journeying-towards-the-best-health-care-travel-experience-in-malaysia/ 
• https://www.ijn.com.my/patientcare/dato-dr-azmee-mohd-ghazi/
• https://malaysiahealthcare.org/search-result/?directory_type=general&q=&in_loc=&in_cat=&custom_field%5B251%5D=&in_tag%5B%5D=32 
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• https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2022/04/784996/malaysia-safe-and-trusted-healthcare-travel-destination?fbclid=IwAR3K_PyUzUp87eI4pWTUESPU4nCW-uUVGUoAfbBuMyGiHLU5NSu1uKgKLgo