← Resources Heart Health
Dr. Kirath Sidhu · ASP Medical

Interactive Health Education

Heart Health

Understand how your heart works, what puts it at risk, and the evidence-based steps you can take today to protect it.

23.3%
of Malaysian deaths
#1
Cause of death in Malaysia
41–59
Peak age group affected

Understanding Your Heart

Your heart is a pump

What does your heart actually do?

Your heart has one job: pump blood and deliver oxygen to every organ in your body.

It sends deoxygenated blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen, then pumps the oxygenated blood out to the rest of your organs — an endless loop that keeps you alive.

72 BPM

4 Chambers. 4 Valves. One mission.

The heart consists of 4 chambers and a set of valves. The heart wall muscles contract to pump blood out, creating pressure that drives blood to the target organs for gas exchange. The valves prevent backflow, ensuring blood always moves in the right direction.

💪
Muscle Contraction
Heart wall muscles squeeze to push blood into blood vessels
🔄
Pressure System
The force created drives blood to organs for oxygen exchange
🚪
One-Way Valves
Valves prevent backflow, keeping blood moving forward

Know Your Risk

What puts your heart in danger?

Risk factors you can't change

These are the cards you've been dealt. You can't change them, but knowing about them helps you take extra care in the areas you can control.

🎂
Age
Risk rises significantly after 45 in men and after 55 in women
👤
Gender
Men develop risk 7–10 years earlier; women catch up after menopause
🧬
Family History
Premature heart disease in first-degree relatives significantly increases risk

Risk factors you can control — Medical

🩸

Hypertension

Responsible for 55% of global cardiovascular disease burden

🍬

Diabetes Mellitus

A strong risk factor for coronary heart disease

🧈

High Cholesterol

Main cause of atherosclerosis and blood vessel narrowing

Risk factors you can control — Lifestyle

⚖️

Obesity

Increases risk across all age groups

🚬

Smoking

Contributes to both cardiovascular and pulmonary risk factors

🛋️

Poor Lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet choices become compounding factors

🔍 Check Your Risk Profile

Select any factors that apply to you. This is for awareness only — not a clinical diagnosis.

Select your risk factors above
Tap each factor that applies to you to see your awareness profile.

Types of Heart Disease

What can go wrong?

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary arteries supply the heart tissue with oxygen and nutrients. They are only 3–4mm in diameter — about the width of a cocktail straw.

Inflammation of the artery wall — triggered by LDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, or cigarette toxins — leads to plaque buildup. If a plaque ruptures, it can completely block the artery, causing a heart attack.

⚠️ Damage from a heart attack is permanent. CAD often develops silently over decades before the first symptom appears.

CAD Warning Signs

  • 😣 Angina — chest tightness, pressure, or heaviness
  • 🦾 Pain radiating to the left arm, jaw, neck, or back
  • 😮‍💨 Shortness of breath during activities that were previously easy
  • 😰 Unexplained fatigue, nausea, or sweating

Heart Failure

The heart is a muscle. The higher the resistance it faces (from hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking), the larger it needs to grow to keep up.

Initially, the heart muscles thicken — compensated heart failure. But this disrupts the chamber architecture, making them smaller. Eventually the heart can't cope: muscles weaken, pumping drops — decompensated heart failure.

Fluid backs up into the lungs and body tissues. The brain, kidneys, and muscles receive less oxygen — leading to fatigue and organ complications.

Heart Failure Warning Signs

  • 😮‍💨 Shortness of breath — first during exertion, later at rest or lying flat
  • 😩 Persistent fatigue and weakness — even with minimal activity
  • 🦶 Swelling (oedema) in the legs, ankles, and feet
  • 🤧 Persistent cough or wheeze — sometimes with pink-tinged mucus
  • ⚖️ Sudden weight gain from fluid retention

Heart Valve Disease

The heart has 4 valves controlling blood flow. Two main problems can develop:

🔒

Stenosis

Valve too narrow — blood can't flow through freely

💧

Regurgitation

Valve leaks — blood flows backwards

Causes include age-related wear, rheumatic fever, or congenital defects. Over time, the heart works harder to compensate, potentially leading to enlargement, failure, or dangerous arrhythmias.

Cardiac Arrhythmia

An abnormality in the heart's electrical system that disrupts its normal rhythm. The heart may beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.

An irregular rhythm means inefficient blood pumping. Blood pooling in the chambers can clot, increasing stroke risk up to 5×. Severe arrhythmias can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

  • 💓 Palpitations — fluttering, racing, or pounding in the chest
  • 😵 Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting
  • 😮‍💨 Shortness of breath, fatigue, or chest discomfort
  • 👻 Some arrhythmias are entirely silent — only detected on an ECG

Protect Your Heart

Small changes, big impact

Diet — the Mediterranean approach

A Mediterranean-style diet reduces cardiovascular risk by approximately 30%. Reducing sodium intake by just 1g/day can lower systolic blood pressure by 2–4 mmHg.

Heart Healthy
Vegetables
The largest portion — leafy greens, cruciferous veg, legumes
Fruits
Whole fruits — berries, citrus, seasonal choices
Whole Grains
Brown rice, oats, whole wheat — avoid refined carbs
Oily Fish
Salmon, sardines, mackerel — rich in omega-3
Nuts & Olive Oil
Healthy fats — almonds, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil
Limit These
Processed meats, fried foods, sugary drinks, excessive salt

Exercise — 150 minutes a week

The target: 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. That's just over 20 minutes a day.

🚶
Brisk Walking
The simplest and most accessible form of moderate exercise
🚴
Cycling
Low-impact, great for joints, easy to fit into a commute
🏋️
Strength Training
At least 2× per week — supports heart health and metabolism

At-desk tip: Stand up and move for 5 minutes every hour — it measurably improves vascular function.

Quit Smoking — your body starts healing immediately

Click each milestone to reveal what happens in your body after quitting.

20 minutes
Tap to reveal...
Heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop back toward normal levels.
24 hours
Tap to reveal...
Carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal. Your heart begins to receive more oxygen.
1 year
Tap to reveal...
Your risk of coronary artery disease is cut in half compared to when you were smoking.
5 years
Tap to reveal...
Your stroke risk approaches that of a non-smoker. Quitting also protects those around you from passive smoking.

Stress Management

Chronic stress is a recognised cardiac risk factor. Here are evidence-based ways to manage it:

  • 🏃 Regular physical activity — the most effective single intervention for stress
  • 🧘 Mindfulness and breathing techniques — even 5–10 minutes daily has measurable effects
  • 😴 Adequate sleep: 7–9 hours — poor sleep independently raises cardiovascular risk
  • 🤝 Social connection — isolation is a recognised cardiac risk factor

Early Detection

Screen early. Live longer.

What to screen for — and how often

  • 🩸 Blood pressure — at least annually; more frequently if elevated
  • 🧪 Fasting cholesterol (lipid panel) — every 1–2 years from age 40
  • 🍬 Fasting blood sugar / HbA1c — every 1–2 years
  • ⚖️ BMI and waist circumference — at every health check
  • 📈 Resting ECG — consider from age 40, or if symptoms are present

🩺 Your Personalised Screening Guide

Enter your details for a recommended screening schedule.

Test Yourself

How much did you learn?
1. Which of the following is a modifiable risk factor for heart disease?
A Age
B Family history
C High blood pressure
D Gender
High blood pressure (hypertension) is modifiable through lifestyle changes and medication. Age, family history, and gender are non-modifiable risk factors — you can't change them, but you can manage what's in your control.
2. How soon after quitting smoking does heart rate begin to normalise?
A 24 hours
B 1 week
C 20 minutes
D 1 hour
Just 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure begin dropping back toward normal. Your body starts healing almost immediately.
3. What is the weekly recommended minimum for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise?
A 75 minutes
B 100 minutes
C 150 minutes
D 200 minutes
The recommended minimum is 150 minutes of moderate activity per week — that's about 22 minutes a day. Combine with strength training at least 2× per week for optimal heart health.