| Nuri Sufri |
CANCER deaths in the country have increased from 299 in 2014 to 312 in 2015, while deaths from cardiovascular diseases dropped from 407 to 364 in the same period, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health (MoH).
This was highlighted by Dr Mohamad Ezam bin Emran, a member of the Brunei Cardiac Society, who noted that “cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two main killers in the world and Brunei is no exception.”
“Fitness craze in Brunei may be one of the contributing factors for the reduction in deaths from cardiovascular diseases, and recently there has been a slight decline in deaths compared 2015,” he said.
“Now we have better facilities and treatment at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital and Gleneagles Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC). Both handle cardiovascular patients, however there are certain treatments that are only available at Gleneagles JPMC,” he added.
Dr Mohamad Ezam bin Emran, a member of the Brunei Cardiac Society, talking to the Weekend Bulletin. – NURI SUFRI
Touching on the use of supplements that have been prevalent among the fitness community in Brunei, he said, “There is no harm in consuming simple supplements such as fish oil, but we advise patients not to take protein supplements and anabolic steroids because these have been proven to have negative impact on cardiac health and can cause coronary diseases and heart failure. We have recently started a database to look into these matters,” he explained.
Dr Mohamad Ezam urged those who wish to embark on a fitness regime and consume supplements to visit nearby health centres to seek advice from doctors, “We need to look at the individual ingredients to justify whether it is ok or not, but usually if that particular supplement has been approved and certified safe by MoH, then it is safe. It is the supplements that have not been approved by MoH that people should stay clear from.”
He added that in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the public should maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, avoid smoking and lower their daily salt and fat intake.
“Exercise alone may not be enough, people should also include a healthy diet and avoid smoking, which is widespread in Brunei,” he added.
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