NCD cases expected to rise in M’sia

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GEORGE TOWN: Non-communicable diseases (NCD), which contributed to 73 per cent death in the country last year, are expected to increase this year based on the style of living of the people, especially the young generation.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya described as “worrying” the current situation where the young people, even those in their early 30s, now getting NCD such as diabetes, stroke, cancer and hypertension.

Based on studies, he said, there was an increase in the number of hypertension cases, with more than 17 per cent of the patients not realising that they had the problem.

“It should be remembered that hypertension can be fatal when a person has a stroke or haemorrhaging in the head which can only be detected at a late stage. This situation happens to a 39-year-old patient.

“When we checked his lifestyle, he always had nasi kandar in the morning and for lunch, drank teh tarik and was a cigarette smoker, as well as did not go for health screening,” he told reporters after opening a health camp, ‘Bersama Komuniti Kekal Sihat’ here yesterday.

Dr Hilmi said a National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted in 2015 found that at least 17.5 per cent of the Malaysian population, aged 18 and above, had diabetes, 9.2 per cent not knowing the disease they were suffering from and 30.5 per cent had hypertension.

He said the ministry also found the prevalence of the people in the country having high cholesterol very high, at 47.7 per cent.

“The people at all ages should continue to go for health screening periodically, as well as to take a well-balanced diet, of 2,000 calories for men and 1,800 calories for women.” — Bernama