Heart disease has been within the top two leading causes of death, and stroke within the top five leading causes of death in Singapore for the last three decades. These diseases result in significant chronic disability and are very costly to treat. The health and economic burden posed by cardiovascular diseases are felt all over the world, for both developed and developing countries. Although death rates from cardiovascular diseases are declining in many industrialised countries, as a group, cardiovascular diseases are still the most common cause of death worldwide in older men and women. The preventive approach is the best way to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the long term.
Preventive strategies can be effective.
There are many risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease that we can bring down. First, we can stop smoking. Second, eat more healthily and exercise regularly so as to control our body weight. Third, take steps to lower high blood pressure, lower high blood cholesterol levels and control blood glucose levels. First, on smoking.