Doctor: Lifestyle that triggers plaque build-up risks heart problems
A heart specialist from IHC Pertamina Central Hospital, Maya Munigar Apandi, said that plaque or crust in the blood vessels can become a blockage that risks coronary heart disease, influenced by lifestyle patterns such as smoking.
According to her, smoking is one of the lifestyles that must be managed because it can be modified, including by stopping the use of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, as the risks are known to be similar.
“So if conventional cigarettes are mostly a problem around the lungs, electronic cigarettes can cause problems in other organs. So we still recommend stopping smoking by any method. That is also part of lifestyle,” said Maya in a health discussion at Pertamina Central Hospital (RSPP) Jakarta on Wednesday.
Maya said hypertension is the risk factor most frequently associated with coronary heart disease in Indonesia, followed by smoking habits. The risk can become even greater if both occur together.
“Not to mention if the food is like that, fats, sugars, and the more it is processed, it causes that plaque or crust,” she said.
Coronary heart disease, Maya said, occurs when the heart’s blood vessels, in this case the coronary arteries that function to supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle, experience narrowing or blockage.
Maya further highlighted dietary lifestyle as a trigger for heart disease risk when food does not contain balanced nutrition, such as being too high in sugar, fat, or excessive carbohydrates.
Maya said stress management is an inseparable part of a healthy lifestyle. She also urged regular exercise while considering each individual’s ability.
Consistency, Maya continued, is more important than exercising only occasionally because the benefits are more optimal and the risk of injury or illness is also lower.
“Controlling risk factors if you have them, for example high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, must all be controlled and optimised as much as possible,” she said.