Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) covers a range of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure. Preventing a first or repeat event is possible, and the earlier risk factors are addressed, the better the outcome.
Medicine used to treat Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Risk factors common across Asia
Across South and Southeast Asia, CVD rates have risen sharply over recent decades, driven by urbanisation, dietary shifts, and rising rates of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. South Asians tend to develop heart disease at younger ages and with lower body-mass indices than Western populations, a pattern seen in India, Singapore, and the South Asian diaspora across Malaysia and the Gulf. In East Asia, high sodium intake and smoking remain significant contributors, particularly among men in Japan, South Korea, and China.
The main modifiable risk factors are elevated LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity, excess weight, and poorly controlled blood glucose.
Lowering cholesterol to protect the heart
Reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is one of the most evidence-backed strategies for CVD prevention. Statins such as atorvastatin lower LDL production in the liver and have a strong safety record built over decades of use. They are used both in people who have already had a cardiac event and in those with elevated risk who have not yet had one.
Diet and exercise remain the foundation: reducing saturated fat, increasing fibre, and achieving 150 minutes of moderate activity per week each contribute meaningfully to cholesterol management.
Seek medical attention promptly if you experience chest pain, unexplained breathlessness, or pain radiating to the arm or jaw.