Smoking makes 20-year-old man suffer from heart attack

That’s the warning the College of Cardiologists issued in Taipei on World Heart Day yesterday.

Dr. Ko Wen-chin, deputy secretary-general of the college, said a 20-year-old man suffered a heart attack because he smoked too many cigarettes every day.

“We had that case,” said Dr. Ko, a chief cardiologist at the Cathay Memorial Hospital.

The patient passed out at work and was brought to Cathay, where he was found to have a heart attack, the cardiologist said.

Because of his addiction, the young man had a heart of an elder in his 70s, Dr. Ko said.

A man in his 70s, even if he doesn’t smoke and has no high pressure or diabetes records, still faces a 16 percent chance of suffering what is known medically as cardiac infarction.

To prevent heart attacks, Dr. Ko went on, the best way is to abstain from smoking and drinking, take regular exercise and pay more attention to personal hygiene.

That includes a diet to keep the cholesterol and triglyceride levels lower.

If one takes regular exercise, one would be able to have a younger heart as one ages, Dr. Ko said.

Chi Cheng, an Olympic bronze medalist and known as Asia’s antelope, has a heart at least five years younger than her age, thanks to her abstention from smoking and regular exercise, Dr. Ko pointed out.

He also published a heart fitness assessment chart, by consulting which people will be able to find out the chances of getting heart attacks.

Copies of the chart are available at hospitals.

A highlight of the celebration of World Heart Day was a relay marathon on the jogging machine.

Altogether 1,000 volunteers jogged 85 kilometers in relay, the circumference of the special municipality of Taipei.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email