Wednesday 4 November 2020

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Post Courier 5 November 2020  Grace Auka-Salmang

Coronary artery disease is on the rise in this country and one of the top causes of admission to Port Moresby General Hospital.

Pioneer cardiologist Sir Isi Kevau says the youngest patient admitted was 20 years old. The number one cause is chewing betel nut.

He says that the disease can start at a very young age and caused by smoking, soda consumption, eating heavy fat laden meat such as lamb flaps,chicken meat with skin and prawns.

The causes of the rise in infection could be due to risk factors such as smoking tobacco, chewing betel nut, lack of diagnosis and lack of treatment. 

He said we are sitting in a rising epidemic of heart disease in PNG. Blockages of the heart come between 20 and 50 years old. So many people in the funeral notices have died in their 40s and 50s.

Comment: It is important that we eat healthy food starting with fruit and vegetables, drink clean water and exercise daily.

We can see the fat in the heart when we go to the supermarket and see the layers of fat on the hearts of sheep in the meat trays. The farmers seem to have fattened the sheep for market.

The fat travels up from the small intestine through the lymph vessels to enter the heart via the vena cava. Much fat follows down beside the cardiac artery on the side of the heart.

The heart attack comes when the fat blocks the cardiac artery or other small vessels. The heart needs its own supply of oxygen. When blocked, the heart dies in part or as a whole. The person dies.

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