According to the latest WHO data published in April 2011 Coronary Heart Disease Deaths in Singapore reached 4,739 or 23.30% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 82.39 per 100,000 of population ranks Singapore #133 in the word
Every day, 15 people die from cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) in Singapor. Cardiovascular disease accounted for 30.4% of all deaths in 2011. This means that 1 out of 3 deaths in Singapore is due to heart disease or stroke.
Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the artery or arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. This narrowing is caused by plaques, which are cholesterol deposits on the vessel wall, resulting in abnormal and gradual thickening of the lining of the heart arteries.
Patients who smoke, or have conditions such as diabetes mellitus ,hypertension and high blood cholesterol or fat levels are prone to developing coronary artery disease.The heart has three main coronary arteries. Patients are said to have single, double, or triple-vessel disease, depending on the number of vessels that are narrowed. When the narrowing becomes critical, the patient can develop symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. In medical terms, this is called angina.
The cholesterol plaque causing the blockage can sometimes rupture suddenly, causing a blood clot to form. This blood clot will cut off blood supply and cause damage to the heart muscle. This is called myocardial infarction, commonly known as a “heart attack”. The patient may get severe chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, giddiness, cold sweaty hands, and even die suddenly.
The severity and prognosis of the heart attack depend on the percentage of the heart muscle damaged. Minor heart attacks usually recover. Major heart attacks can result in long-term heart failure, enlargement of the heart, abnormal heart rhythms, heart valve leakage and even death.