ASIA NUMBER 1 IN HEART DISEASE AND STROKE
--- Prevention Badly Needed

On Sunday, September 26, 2004, is World Heart Day. As part of its continuing efforts to prevent the global rise in incidence of heart disease and stroke, the World Health Organization has decided to focus its theme on Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease.

Now doesn't that sound ridiculous and downright silly?

It does, probably --- if we were living in the 1950s --- when adults die of heart disease and stroke and kids probably die more from infectious diseases like measles or influenza.

You might probably ask why children and adolescents? Are they really involved?Do they suffer from heart disease? Stroke?

Nowadays? Oh, yes.

In a world of potato chips and creamy dips, cheeseburgers, steak, gravy, mouth watering kare-kare, lechon, and an environment replete with push-button convenience that makes us hide in shame if ever our ancestors saw us (our nomadic forefathers --- the hunters), majority of us are willing victims.

If you are a regular PARALLEL UNIVERSES reader, you will know what I'm talking about. I have frequent posts on obesity, heart disease, stroke, and a slew of prevention tips, most of them having to do with lifestyle changes. You can always check some of them below:

• HOW AND WHAT DO YOU FEED YOUR CHILDREN?


• OBESE MICHIGAN IS A WARNING!


• CALCULATE YOUR BMI


• WHY SMOKE AT ALL?


• BREAKFAST ALERT!


• APRIL STROKES


• EATING OUR WAY TO THE GRAVE


• STROKEBUSTER


• WHEN CHILDREN DIE AHEAD OF THEIR PARENTS


• THE NEW WAR ON CHOLESTEROL


• WILL YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK SOON?


• BROILED OR BAKED, NOT FRIED


• AREN'T YOU TIRED OF THOSE NO-SMOKING ADVOCACIES?


• EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY KILLERS

Also, in connection with World Heart Day, WHO has just published " The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke," which details in vivid colors " a global epidemic that is the leading single cause of death worldwide."

Shown in the atlas and here on the left panel is a graphic image of the WHO report that said heart disease and stroke kill 17 million people a year worldwide. This figure is almost one third of all deaths globally. WHO also said that 17 million deaths today will grow to 24 million by 2030 if preventive measures are not taken now.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is no longer a limited ailment of middle aged men in rich countries. As mentioned, available data now will show you that 75 percent of heart disease now is found in developing countries and the epidemic hits both men and women in almost equal numbers.

You can be affected now even as you are reading this post.

I am not scaring you.

Actually, it is more scary if we act later. Prevention is still the best medicine.

Judith Mackay, co-author of the WHO atlas, says:

"There are more elevators now in Asia. There are more cars in Asia. There are more buses in Asia. There is more fast food in Asia. There is more sugar eaten. There is more an adoption of some of perhaps the excesses of the Western lifestyle ranging from MTV to Philip Morris to McDonald's are actually penetrating many parts of Asia."

What did I tell you?

Humans are not biologically programmed to lead the life of a couch potato. If you make it so --- and this is happening --- the consequences can be fatal.