Watch your sugar intake! That's the stern warning issued to Queenslanders by a leading Mackay cardiologist.
Mater Private Hospital Mackay’s Dr Manish Kumar has been operating in the sugar city for the past decade and says while the age of patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation is plummeting, BMIs continue to climb.
“If you look at historic data, the average age of patients presenting with heart issues was up around 50 to 60 – but now, I have patients less than 30 who are coming to me with atrial fibrillation,” said Dr Kumar.
“We are one of the key sugar-producing centres in the country – but our BMI is increasing, so we should be watching our intake.
“A change in our body mass index is usually one of the first warning signs that could lead to heart issues – when you have a higher BMI, you will feel fatigued more often, then may develop sleep apnoea, and even high blood pressure. Then when you add in other elements like alcohol, this contributes too.
“There are then the things beyond our control such as age and genetics. So when we know there are things out of our control, we should be trying to reduce our risk with the things we can.”
The bitter advice to cut the sweet stuff comes ahead of World Heart Day (29 September).
Dr Kumar says although we are seeing a spike in younger patients, modern technology is also making it easier than ever to pick up on warning signs and monitor your heart.
“These patients have the tools they need to watch their health – with smart watches having a lot of functionality,” said Dr Kumar.
“I have two very different types of patients: the ones who either know of a family history or are health literate and do what they can to reduce their risk, and then those who are not aware of signs and symptoms who may have critical heart issues on their first presentation.
“We have a large mining and agriculture industry, and the people in these industries are often the ones who are hardworking and don’t go asking for help, they think they can do everything – but these are also industries with long hours and a lot of manual work which can all take a big toll on your body.
“Whether you have symptoms or not, it is important that you continue having regular checkups with your GP and if you ever do feel something out of the ordinary, speak to a medical professional.”
