KUALA KANGSAR: About 300,000 patients have received outpatient treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN) as of last year compared to 280,000 in 2015.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Azhari Yakub said the institute saw a five per cent increase each year on the number of patients with heart-related diseases.
"Some of the factors that contributed on the rise include unhealthy lifestyle, food intake and lack of exercises," he said at the Peoples' Heart and Health Screening Programme here.
Azhari said the youngest heart disease patients treated were in their early 20s who were highly likely to have gotten the disease from their family members.
"For those in their 50s and 60s, they suffer heart disease because they neglect healthy food intake, obesity, and smoking," he said.
The Peoples' Heart and Health Screening Programme is a corporate social initiative (CSI) by IJN that started 10 years ago as an initiative to give back to the community.
"The initiative, executed by IJN volunteers known as CSI Team, is an effort to reach out and provide health services to the rural and suburb people who have limited access to undergo heart screening or treatment at IJN," he added.
Kuala Kangsar is the second location for the programme which offers free heart and various health screenings including eye, tooth, ear for the locals.
Earlier, The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim graced the programme organised by the state government and National Heart Institute (IJN) at Dewan Jubli Perak, here.
Sultan Nazrin and Tuanku Zara spent about an hour visiting the booths and mobile clinic trailer which housed a complete facilities for electrocardiography and two-dimension echocardiography tests for the patients.
Also present were State Health, Public Transport, Non-Islamic Affairs, National Integration and New Village committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon and Kuala Kangsar Member of Parliament Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid.