HEART disease has crept up on Malaysian women over the years, edging up from 20% in 2014 to 22% in 2017.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the disease which is traditionally associated with men showed up differently in women.

“Although the most common symptom is chest pain, it has been recognised that this can be presented in a slightly different manner in women, leading to late diagnosis and treatment. 

“The usual chest pains associated with a heart attack such as pain in the centre of the chest and pain on the shoulder spreading towards the neck and heart may not usually occur for women who are experiencing a heart attack,” she said in her speech at the official launch of MySTEMI Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, today.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said when women had heart attacks, they were usually 10 years older than men and less likely to be treated aggressively with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

PCI is a non-surgical method of a permanent placement of a small metal called a stent, to help widen the narrowed or blocked artery that supplies oxygen to the heart. 

“Women who are victims of a heart attack are also more likely to develop complications and severe diseases. 

“These gender differences have also been observed in other countries and to date, no one can identify the cause of these differences,” she added. 

She said heart disease was the leading cause of death among Malaysians for 13 years, from 2005 to 2017. 

“I am made to understand that in 2017, 13.9% of Malaysians died from heart disease with the majority of them being in their prime and living in urban areas,” she said.

She said it is also alarming to see Malaysians who suffered from heart disease in Malaysia were younger compared to the people in neighbouring countries like Thailand and Singapore.

Dr Wan Azizah said by 2040, it was estimated that the population of Malaysians aged 65 and above will exceed six million, making up a total of 14.5% of the population.

This indicates the future burden of coronary disease in Malaysia, she said. – Bernama, October 3, 2019.