The number of people who died of diseases associated with the “three highs” — high levels of blood lipids, blood sugar or blood pressure — exceeded that of people who died of cancer in 2022, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday, adding that the prevalence of high blood lipids among adults is estimated to be as high as 40 percent.
After cancer had been the leading cause of death for 41 consecutive years, HPA Aging and Chronic Disease Control Division head Chung Yuan-fang (鍾遠芳) yesterday said that 51,927 people died of cancer in 2022, accounting for about 25 percent of the total deaths, but 69,400 people died of diseases associated with the “three highs,” accounting for about 33 percent of total deaths.
Of the 10 leading causes of death in 2022, six types of disease — such as heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and hypertensive disease — are associated with the “three highs,” she said.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
HPA Deputy Director Wei Shi-lun (魏璽倫) said having one or more of the “three highs,” obesity, lack of exercise and smoking are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and data from 2022 showed that the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is higher than that for lung cancer and liver cancer, the two types of cancer with the highest mortality rates.
Of the “three highs,” it is harder for people to monitor their blood lipid (cholesterol) level and they normally do not experience any early symptoms, Chung said, adding that the agency’s 2018 to 2022 National Health Interview Survey estimated that the prevalence is more than 40 percent among adults, but only about 25 percent of them are aware of the condition.
Taiwan Myocardial Infarction Society member Huang Chun-yao (黃群耀), a cardiologist at Taipei Medical University Hospital, said high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes called “bad” cholesterol, can cause plaque to gradually build up in the blood vessels, making them become narrowed, hardened or even blocked.
When arteries narrow and harden, blood flow to the heart could slow down, causing people to experience fatigue, nausea, chest discomfort or pain, and other symptoms, and if plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form, causing a risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) or cerebrovascular accident (stroke), he said.
Huang said LDL takes cholesterol from the liver to the cells, but excessive cholesterol can build up in the arteries; while high density lipoprotein (HDL), sometimes called “good” cholesterol, absorbs cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver.
The HPA said that adults should keep their total cholesterol level below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), their triglyceride level below 150mg/dL, LDL cholesterol level below 130mg/dL and their HDL cholesterol level above 50mg/dL for men and above 40mg/dL for women.
It also said that adults aged 40 to 64 should undergo government-funded health exams once every three yearse, and once per year for those aged 65 or older; maintain healthy habits including exercising regularly and eating a diet low in fat, sodium and sugar, and high in fiber; and avoid smoking, as nicotine raises blood pressure and lowers HDL cholesterol.
Adults can also type in the numbers from their health exam report into the HPA’s chronic diseases risk assessment Web site at https://cdrc.hpa.gov.tw, which can help them estimate their risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes or major adverse cardiovascular events, the HPA said.
If people experience sudden chest discomfort or pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, difficulty breathing, lightheadedness or other symptoms of a heart attack, especially those who have the “three highs” or a medical history of cardiovascular disease, they should seek medical attention immediately, it said.
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