Bangkok, Thailand, 20 June, 2008 - Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world but also one that can be found and cured if patients take the time for screening examinations, says a leading doctor at Bangkok Hospital Medical Center.
Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it was the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.
Traditionally it has been thought that cardiac disease was one that principally attacked males. More recent work has shown, however, that in older age groups the risks to women are equally worrying. Female patients should also undergo cardiac testing, especially if there is a family history of heart disease.
As arteries age they can be damaged by a sediment that builds up in their walls, says Dr. Micheal Moreton, International Medical Coordinator at the Bangkok Hospital Medical Center (BMC).
The coronary arteries that supply blood to the muscular wall of the heart are the arteries most likely to be blocked by this plaque that builds up, Moreton says in an article on BMC's website.
Moreton says the development of the cholesterol plaque is influenced by lifestyle risk factors such as diet, smoking, high-cholesterol level, diabetes, high-blood pressure and a lack of exercise.
If the arteries narrow to a critical level then the blood flow will be insufficient to support the heart muscle's cells with oxygen. The patient may then suffer a heart attack, and some may not survive, he says.
Bangkok Hospital Medical Center can test a patient's heart, assess both its current status and also predict whether there are hidden problems that may lead to trouble in the future.
"Like all things in medicine these forecasts are not a hundred percent accurate but they do have a high predictive value," says Moreton.
The Bangkok Heart Hospital offers cardiac screening programs that provide a thorough assessment of one's cardiac status and can identify treatment or lifestyle changes that will lower the chance of developing serious heart problems in the future.
For more information contact:
info@bangkokhospital.com
Website: www.bangkokhospital.com
Contact Center Tel. (+66) 2310-3344 (24 hrs)
