Can Stress Cause Heart Diseases in Young Adults? A Cardiologist Explains

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HOW COMMON IS HEART DISEASE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS? 
Dr Timothy:

Heart disease is common. In general, the risk factors are:

  • Male gender
  • Advancing age
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure or hypertension
  • High levels of fats in the blood or hyperlipidaemia
  • Family history
  • Physical inactivity.

Young people that develop heart disease often are significantly overweight, or they have smoking or uncontrolled diabetes from young as major risk factors.

HOW ABOUT FATAL HEART DISEASE?
Dr Timothy:

Fatal heart disease is rare in otherwise apparently fit young people.

Nonetheless, we all know of people that have heart attacks or those who even collapse at a young age.

In many cases there is an underlying driving factor, such as smoking, or an underlying heart muscle defect such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

CAN STRESS INCREASE A YOUNG ADULT’S RISK OF HEART DISEASE?
Dr Timothy:

Stress may also play a role, but this is hard to define. Stress is a very personal matter.

For example, some people thrive in stressful environments, while others struggle. How this translates into cardiac risk is not clear-cut, especially as there is no universal definition or measurement scale for stress.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNGER ADULTS WHEN IT COMES TO STRESS MANAGEMENT?
Dr Timothy:

We all feel stressed. Sometimes it can be a motivating factor, but sometimes it can be overwhelming and daunting.

It is important to be comfortable and happy in life. Find things you enjoy.

Work hard but don’t do things to excess. This includes overworking, overeating, etc.

Find a job you enjoy. After all, you will spend a significant amount of your time at work.

Find time to relax yourself and keep your body fit and healthy. A simple evening walk may be enough. Jogging or cycling with your family may be even better.

Some Facts to Help You Understand Better What Dementia Is

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The World Health Organization reveals that about 10,000,000—that’s ten million—new cases of dementia are diagnosed every year.

In Malaysia, the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation shares that 204,000 to 264,000 adults were diagnosed with dementia in 2020, and they expect the numbers to rise to between 637,500 and 825,000 by 2050.

DEMENTIA IS ACTUALLY A GENERAL TERM THAT COVERS CONDITIONS IN WHICH ONE EXPERIENCES SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION

Consultant geriatrician Dr Teh Hoon Lang explains that the decline should be significant enough to affect one’s thinking, memory, and social skills until it impedes their ability to carry out their usual day-to-day routines.

DEMENTIA IS A TERM THAT INCLUDE A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS INCLUDING
  • Alzheimer’s disease, the most common one
  • Frontotemporal dementia, a rare form that usually develops in people younger than 60
  • Lewy body dementia
  • Vascular dementia, caused by blood vessel damage that interrupts blood and oxygen flow to the brain
  • Mixed dementia, a combination of two or more types of dementia
THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT CAN INCREASE ONE’S RISK OF DEMENTIA

“These factors can be divided into modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors,” Dr Teh says.

Non-modifiable risk factors—things that we can’t change—include:

  • Advancing age
  • Being female
  • Certain types of dementia can be passed down from parent to child; however Dr Teh assures us that having a gene for one of these types of dementia is not a surefire guarantee that the person will develop that type of dementia

Meanwhile, modifiable risk factors include:

  • Diabetes mellitus
  • High blood pressure or hypertension
  • Obesity
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • Smoking
  • Depression
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Social isolation
  • Mid-life hearing impairment
  • Air pollution

“The more risk factors a person has, the higher their chances of getting dementia,” Dr Teh says.

TEN EARLY WARNINGS OF DEMENTIA TO WATCH OUT FOR
  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty performing familiar tasks
  • Problems with language
  • Disorientation to time and place
  • Poor or decreased judgement
  • Problems keeping track of things
  • Misplacing things
  • Changes in mood and behaviour
  • Challenges understanding visual and spatial information
  • Withdrawal from work or social activities
WHERE TO SEEK HELP IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR LOVED ONE MAY HAVE DEMENTIA

It is fine to consult a general practitioner or GP, who can refer your loved one to a specialist if necessary.

A geriatrician is a specialist that can help with dementia in older persons, and other types of specialists such as neuropsychologists and psychiatrists may also step in to help.

DEMENTIA CAN’T BE CURED, BUT IT CAN BE SLOWED DOWN

Dr Teh shares that there is no cure for dementia at the moment.

However, she assures us that there are many measures or strategies to slow down the progress of the disease and provide both the affected person and their caregivers a better quality of life.

“The most important part of dementia care is to get diagnosed early and get professional advice on the management plan,” says Dr Teh. “Every person with dementia is unique and the approach should be individualized. The basic principles of care include understanding the disease pattern and the struggles or difficulty they are facing, providing a supportive environment, maximizing their strength and minimizing their loss due to cognitive decline.”

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone & Here’s an Article About Rabbits

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PHOTO RAHIM SOFRI

UNDERSTANDING THE RABBIT
  • Rabbits are pack animals that have many predators, so they are conditioned to always be alert and wary. Therefore, when you adopt a pet rabbit, it may take a while for the rabbit to become familiar with its new home and to feel safe.
  • Wild rabbits live in warrens—underground homes interconnected by tunnels. Therefore, even tame rabbits have this urge to dig with their paws. Therefore, line your rabbit’s new home with something that it can dig on.
  • Rabbits answer the call of nature in the same spot as much as possible, so minimize the risk of predators tracking them down. Therefore, tame rabbits can be trained to do their business in the same place every day.
  • A rabbit’s tooth never stops growing throughout its life, and a wild rabbit keeps its teeth to manageable length by chewing down on rough parts of plants. Therefore, give your pet rabbit things that it can always chew on, so that its teeth won’t become overgrown.
  • A rabbit tells you that it is not happy with you by thumping its rear feet. It may also bite, although fortunately rabbits are usually not aggressive to humans.
YOUR RABBIT’S IDEAL HOME
  • Keep your rabbit in a well-ventilated cage—such cages are sold in pet shops. Avoid putting rabbits in closed “houses” or glass cases, as these often lack ventilation.
  • Rabbits may develop sore hocks, with its feet becoming raw and inflamed, when they spend too much time on wire flooring, so make sure that the wire flooring has a mesh size that is as small as possible (1 x 2.5 cm should be good).
  • Have a solid and smooth area for the rabbit to rest on, such a wood or Plexiglas surface, so that it can take a break from moving around on the wire flooring.
  • Grass hay makes good bedding for the rabbit, as it is comfy and also provides a nice snack for a hungry rabbit!
HEALTHY RABBIT MUNCHIES
  • A rabbit needs plenty of dietary fibre to keep its digestive system healthy. Unfortunately, most commercial-available pelleted diets sold in stores do not provide enough fibre for the needs of an older, non-breeding, and physically inactive house rabbit.
  • Usually, such rabbits will need to their pellets supplemented with grass hay, leafy green vegetables, and a small amount of treat foods (rolled oats, stale bread, fruits, etc). Therefore, discuss with a veterinarian (that’s an animal doctor) on how to best meet your rabbit family member’s nutritional needs.
  • Make sure that your rabbit always has clean and fresh water to drink. If you have an inverted sipper bottle for your rabbit, check often to make sure that the drinking or ‘straw’ part of the bottle is not blocked.
TRIPS TO THE VET
  • Ideally, have the vet examine your rabbit once a year to check for lice, parasites, and tooth problems as well as signs of diseases.
  • Pet rabbits can be neutered when they are 3 or 4 months old to keep them from being aggressive.
IF YOU NEED TO LIFT & CARRY THE RABBIT AROUND IN YOUR ARMS
  • Grasp your rabbit family member gently by the scruff of its neck to keep it docile.
  • Cup its hindquarters with your other hand to keep it from kicking you with its rear legs.
  • Then gently pick the rabbit up, keeping it in a vertical position.
  • Alternatively, once you have grasp the rabbit’s scruff gently, you can place its head under your other arm (be gentle, don’t squeeze!) and use that arm to support its hindquarters.

References:

  1. Jenkins J. R. (2001). Rabbit behavior. The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice, 4(3), 669–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30030-0
  2. Crowell-Davis S. (2021). Rabbit Behavior. The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice, 24(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2020.09.002

Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan Receives Honorary Degree

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We would like to express our heartiest congratulations to  Her Royal Highness Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan binti Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shahwas.

On November 17, she was conferred an Honorary Degree, ‘Doctor of the University’, by Heriot-Watt University Malaysia at the Putrajaya Marriott Hotel today.

A PRINCESS FOR THE PEOPLE

HRH Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan is the eldest daughter of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah.

She is a well-known and well-respected mental health activist and advocate in Malaysia as well as the international stage.

Just a few of her recent accomplishments and advocacy milestones are:

  • Appointed as World Federation for Mental Health Representative to the United Nations in New York in 2021
  • Appointed by WHO as the International Patron of World Mental Health Day for 2020-2021
  • Co-founder of the mental health awareness and advocacy platform Green Ribbon Group (link opens in a new tab)

Heriot-Watt University presented the Honorary Degree to HRH Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan in recognition of Her Royal Highness’role as an inspirational, purpose-driven leader committed to championing mental health in Malaysia and globally.

A WIN FOR THE CAUSE OF CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH

“The Honorary Degree from Heriot-Watt University is a win for my noble cause of championing mental health,” Her Royal Highness Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan said during the ceremony. “I am pleased to be recognised for the positive impact of my efforts, and this momentous occasion has reminded me once again of why I decided to champion the mental health agenda. I am dedicated to continuing my efforts to have a positive impact on mental health and to create an environment that is filled with compassion, love, and encouragement, especially for those who feel alone in their battles.”

She reiterated that pushing the mental health agenda forward will set in motion actionable steps towards breaking negative cycles and habits, and their transmission between the current generation and future ones.

“I would like to build a world where our youth are supported to become the very best version of themselves, so they are able to contribute to society and become even better parents to their children. This is my hope for my children, Zayn and Aleya, too,” she said.

#YouMatter Promotes Mental Health Awareness and Creates Safe Space

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In conjunction with World Mental Health Month in October, Suria KLCC together with The Body Shop invites the public to be part of the change in temoving the stigma of mental health problems. Also coming onboard this year is the is Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA).

The campaign with the tagline #YouMatter will run until 10 November 2022.

A SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER AND CONVERSE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

A safe space is available Suria KLCC for people to come together and converse about mental health without the fear of receiving judgment and being stigmatized by the rest of society.

This safe space, called Safe Space @ Suria KLCC, will be open for the duration of this campaign.

SAFE SPACE @ SURIA KLCC

  • Located at Level 1, Ampang Mall (you can’t miss it)
  • Will be opened throughout the campaign (until 10 November 2022)
  • 10 am to 10 pm daily
  • Participate in workshops, talks, and panel discussions with mental health professionals
  • Talk to the stationed mental health volunteer for more information

The calm room in Safe Space @ KLCC allows one to de-stim and find peace of mind.
WELCOMING THE CALM AFTER A TURBULENT MCO

“The last two years marked a turbulent and uncertain time for all,” says Andrew Brien, the Executive Director of Suria KLCC Sdn Bhd. “With the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, there’s no better time to reconnect and focus on recovery.”

He adds: “The Safe Space @ Suria KLCC is a welcoming space where the community can come together to share and learn. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved—we want people to leave the space feeling better and with more insight about themselves or others.”

A TIMELY EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO AND EMPOWER YOUTHS

YAM Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan Al-Sultan Abdullah, the Founder and President of the Green Ribbon Group, emphasizes that Safe Space and similar efforts are needed to show our support for those with mental health problems as well as to highlight an ongoing commitment towards doing more for the cause.

She adds that for this year, the focus is on the mental health of youth. “The focus on youth mental health this year is especially timely for the Green Ribbon Group. We are very fortunate to be able to pilot programmes in secondary schools and universities that focus on mental health literacy, self-management and peer support. This has always been a dream of mine—to reach out to our youth and empower them to prioritise their mental health.”

Founder and President of MIASA, Anita Abu Bakar shares a similar sentiment. “Looking after each other should be everyone’s responsibility and not just the health sector alone,” she says. “This is why we should strive to prioritise community-based mental health support—so that the burden of care can be shifted from being shouldered solely by our incredible frontliners to being shouldered by all of us. Through efforts like this, it is our sincere hope that the scale of our response to the issues surrounding community mental health can begin to match the scale of the challenge itself.”

For more information on MIASA, you can visit www.miasa.org.my (link opens in a new tab), while more information on the Green Ribbon Group can be found by visiting greenribbongroup.com (link also opens in a new tab).

See the map below if you’re unsure as to where KLCC Suria is.

A Free App for Women, Especially Marginalized Women

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The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) and Hanai Jiwa Ibu Sdn Bhd have developed an app, called Jiwa Ibu, to provide localised and tailored information on mental, women’s, maternal, and children’s health.

This app, developed in collaboration of the two entities with St George’s University of London, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Malaysia Sabah, serves to reduce the great disparity in access to healthcare between those residing in urban and rural communities. This is because rural communities have limited access to quality medical centres and professionals, and residents of those communities have to travel further in search of quality healthcare.

AN APP FOR MARGINALISED WOMEN

“For years, we’ve wanted to shift our focus to the rural and marginalised communities of Malaysia. Since the idea began, our team of eight dedicated women have run focus groups involving doctors, nurses, midwives, community nurses and everyday women, to better learn what the ideal women and maternal healthcare pathway should look like,” explains Hanai Jiwa Ibu Founder and CEO, Shamala Hinrichsen. “We don’t expect to solve the world’s problems, of course, but one tiny step forward is better than no steps at all.”

UNM and Hanai Jiwa Ibu recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow for the copyrighting and trademarking of the app, ahead of plans to work alongside Selangkah, Selangor’s healthcare app, to embed part of Jiwa Ibu into the system.

“The Jiwa Ibu app is expected to benefit 15 million women across Malaysia. During its initial alpha-test, the app was downloaded by 3,000 women, with 75% returning to the app within the span of one month from downloading,” shares Associate Professor Dr Joanne Lim Bee Yin of the UNM School of Media Languages and Cultures. “Based on the surveys and interviews that we carried out, 95% of respondents also shared that they wanted the app.

MANY FUNCTIONS FOR EMPOWERMENT & HEALTH SELF-MANAGEMENT

Jiwa Ibu will include a directory for doctors and healthcare centres within the vicinity of the user and other important resources, such as those for violence against women cases.

Users can also store and track their own health records and seek medical assistance through the app.

In an effort to be more accessible, the app will be made available in Bahasa Melayu, English, and other native languages.

Click here to download the app (link opens in a new tab) in the Google Playstore. The app is free.