LETTERS: An eye examination can reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease, which may later appear as heart attack or stroke.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 said three in 10 Malaysians had high blood pressure.
In the early stage, high blood pressure has no warning symptoms. Many are not aware they have high blood pressure until they develop end organ damage.
Eye doctors can discover early clues by recognising changes in the eye's blood vessels or small bleeding spots at the back of the eye.
Sometimes, even a blocked artery with a blood clot leading to an impending eye stroke can be picked up by experienced ophthalmologists.
Two out of 10 adults in Malaysia have diabetes. High blood sugar may damage the tiny blood vessels of the eye and cause leakage of fluid into the surrounding tissue.
If untreated, it may lead to vision impairment or blindness. Ideally, these reversible conditions should be identified before visual loss occurs.
Four in 10 Malaysian adults have raised total cholesterol level, with one in four unaware of it.
Fortunately, this condition may occasionally manifest as small, yellowish soft bumps (called xanthelasma palpebrarum) around the eyelids.
These aesthetically-unpleasing plagues rarely affect our vision but they may indicate a high cholesterol problem.
Those who have these eye plaques should get their cholesterol levels checked.
In short, early detection and subsequent treatment of risk factors of cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol) via an eye examination can reduce our risk of getting a heart attack or stroke.
In line with the upcoming World Heart Day's theme of "Use heart for every heart" and World Sight Day's theme of "Love your eyes", every Malaysian aged 40 and above should do a medical check-up yearly with an eye examination at a medical facility.
Those below 40 in the low-income group can access PeKa B40, a free health screening programme. Details can be found at www.pekab40.com.my.
DR YAP JUN FAI
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya and the Department of Public Health, University Malaya Medical Centre
PROFESSOR DR MOY FOONG MING,
DR LIM YIN CHENG
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya
DR ALAN FONG
National Heart Association of Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times