The Heart Truth Symposium
Unveiling what matters
PULSE Issue 42 | February 2024
A key event in NUHCS’ calendar of public outreach activities, “The Heart Truth” is a yearly talk aimed at increasing awareness about cardiovascular health through sharing of the latest insights by the centre’s heart care experts.
Hosted by local CNA938 presenter Daniel Martin, this year’s event took place on Saturday, 24 June 2023 and was attended by over 250 participants at the National University Health System (NUHS) Tower Block Auditorium.
Diving into the lesser known condition of
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) – a type of high blood pressure affecting the arteries in the lungs, A/Prof James Yip, Executive Director and Senior Consultant, NUHCS, highlighted important symptoms including shortness of breath during exertion, which can be easy to miss when relatively mild but worsens as the disease gets more severe. As early detection is crucial, he advised fit and healthy individuals who experience reduced, unexplained exercise capacity to get a prompt check-up.
Debunking the persistent myth that cardiovascular disease is “just a man’s disease”, Dr Sim Hui Wen, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, NUHCS, shone the light on how women tended to be more vulnerable to heart disease due to the different symptoms they experience compared to men. To raise awareness of heart disease as the number 1 killer of women in Singapore, she shared on lesser-known risk factors that are specific to
women, such as a history of pregnancy complications and menopause, whereby the fall in oestrogen levels causes a loss in protective effects against heart disease.
Did you know that up to 6-10% of those who develop
Aortic Aneurysm will not experience any obvious symptoms?
An aneurysm may also lead on to a rupture, an emergency situation with the risk of sudden death. Adj A/Prof Vitaly A. Sorokin, Director of Aortic Centre Programme and Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), NUHCS, drew attention to key risk factors of this life-threatening heart condition that is often described as a “ticking time bomb”, including hypertension, obesity and cholesterol levels, to help the audience safeguard against the silent threat through good lifestyle practices.
If you thought that hypertension is an “old person’s disease” that affects only the elderly, think again! Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Senior Advisor, NUHCS, cautioned that hypertension or high blood pressure has been termed the “silent killer” as it is often asymptomatic. Explaining the main pillars of treatment, he emphasised the importance of prevention through blood pressure self-monitoring, and shared expert tips to ensure accurate readings, such as emptying the bladder and avoiding caffeine, exercise and smoking for 10 minutes before measurement.
Finally, it was time for the lively Q&A session where participants benefited from cardiovascular tips and insights shared by the four heart health experts. Five lucky participants among the audience were also invited on stage for the lucky draw segment, and brought home exciting prizes after a fun and educational game! Each participant also brought home a hearty goodie bag provided by NUHCS and their various supporting partners at the end of the event. The next public symposium in mid-2024 will be conducted in Mandarin. Keen to be part of the audience? Follow NUHCS’ social pages for more details which will be announced closer to date.
