A patient being treated at Hà Nội Heart Hospital. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Ngọc

HÀ NỘI - More young people in Việt Nam, especially those aged between 30 and 40 and even below 30, have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, health experts found.

According to statistics, over 200,000 deaths in Việt Nam each year are attributed to cardiovascular disease, making up 39.5 per cent of all deaths, Vietnamplus reports.

Cardiovascular disease affects about 25 per cent of young adults and the number of young individuals who are likely to be impacted is rising.

According to medical experts, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and stroke were only associated with age 50 and above. People in their 30s and 40s have now been diagnosed with problems, while a few cases involve those under 30.

The number of instances of cardiovascular illness at Hà Nội Heart Hospital has increased by 10–20 per cent annually on average.

According to Associate Professor Nguyễn Sinh Hiền, chairman of Hà Nội Cardiology Association, director of Hà Nội Heart Hospital, cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death, claiming more victims than cancer.

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are among complex disease groups with high infection rates in the community.

The disease often leaves severe sequelae, reduces the patient's quality of life and places a burden on families and society.

Regarding the causes, according to experts there are many factors contributing to the increase in cardiovascular disease.

Unhealthy lifestyles including smoking, alcohol abuse, eating the wrong food and not exercising are caused by a number of reasons, including urbanisation, globalisation and environmental changes.

"All of those are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease," he said adding that work stress and mental stress can also cause them.

Experts claim that patients typically are unaware of the presence of cardiovascular disorders until they have severe symptoms, as these problems can be frequently ambiguous and fleeting. The financial burden also increases when the diseases worsen and necessitate more costly treatment plans, invasive surgeries and interventional procedures.

Medical experts affirm that cardiovascular illnesses can be avoided and treated to lessen risk and severity by educating individuals about changing unhealthy lifestyle choices including stopping smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising more, and not abusing alcohol.

Individuals who have high risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, or lipid disorders should be examined as soon as possible and should take preventive action.

Symptoms for people to recognise in cardiovascular disease include difficulty breathing, especially when lying down, when taking deep breaths, feeling like there is a heavy object pressing on your chest or severe, tight chest pains. The patient might feel angina in the area below the sternum, with the pain lasting around ten minutes and often coming back.

People with heart diseases may also experience blurred vision, dizziness or momentary loss of balance because the heart is not strong enough to pump blood to the organs.

People are urged to visit a doctor as soon as they experience those kinds of symptoms in order to get a prompt diagnosis and course of treatment. VNS