Doctor shares tips on preventing cardiovascular disease risk factors

A cardiovascular specialist, Dr. Ade Meidian Ambari, Sp.JP, FIHA, has shared advice on preventing cardiovascular disease, including recognising risk factors that can trigger attacks. According to him, prevention is better than cure. One risk factor for heart attacks is high blood pressure. “So every Indonesian citizen must be aware that if their blood pressure is above 140/90, that means their pressure is high, hypertension. It must be treated,” Ade said in Jakarta on Thursday. Ade suggested that preventing heart disease risk factors such as hypertension can begin with lifestyle changes like reducing dietary salt and not consuming too much salted fish. If blood pressure remains high, the public is advised to consult a doctor immediately to receive treatment. He recommended that bad cholesterol (Low-Density Lipoprotein/LDL) levels should be below 100, while for diabetes sufferers, HbA1c or haemoglobin A1c must be treated to below 7 per cent. Additionally, smoking is a risk factor for heart problems. “I had a 24-year-old patient who suffered a heart attack. Why? He smoked three packs a day. There was a total blockage in his coronary artery, even though there was no narrowing, causing a heart attack. That is a risk factor that must be addressed,” he said. Furthermore, Ade stressed that treating risk factors can potentially reduce the risk of heart and vascular disease, especially coronary heart disease, which is the most common. “So one risk factor might account for 20 per cent. If we do not smoke, do not have hypertension, do not have high cholesterol, and do not have diabetes, that reduces the risk by 80 per cent. Because the remaining 20 per cent is hereditary, genetic,” he stated. Previously, according to the Ministry of Health’s website published in 2025, cardiovascular disease remains the biggest cause of death in Indonesia, with heart attacks and strokes being the main causes, claiming nearly 800,000 lives each year.