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00:14Cardiovascular disease is known as the silent killer, which develops from a combination of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.
00:22Some of the key contributors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and other factors like stress, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption.
00:34Dr. Dookie says there are no specific cause of cardiovascular diseases, but there are many components that contribute to the problem.
00:42Environmental factors for sure.
00:44Even last night at our conference, we were discussing the effect of climate change on cardiovascular disease.
00:49Definitely their dietary components as well. Definitely their genetic components.
00:54But I think there's no one thing explains it.
00:56We've all heard stories, you know, quite sadly of people we think very healthy, very fit, and suddenly having a cardiovascular or heart-related event.
01:03So there are factors that we don't fully understand.
01:06And, you know, we call it a silent killer because, again, sometimes there are no warning signs.
01:10Dr. Dookie said persons must educate themselves that the symptoms for the disease can vary depending on the cause.
01:17It depends on what version of that we're talking about.
01:20Chest discomfort, feeling out of breath, not able to be active as possible.
01:25Little things that you be conscious about.
01:27For like, if you normally walk the Savannah in 15 minutes, but now I'm taking 25.
01:30Right.
01:30You know, why is my ability to exercise has changed?
01:34I could have run up a flight of stairs.
01:35Now I have to walk up very slowly and catch my breath.
01:38Again, that could be just fitness, but it may not be.
01:40So it's not always this version of the TV show, graphing my chest and bawling out in pain if you wish.
01:46So it's about knowing your body and understanding that if things are different, you know, let's go and discuss it.
01:52There are times you may be wrong and the process says, hey, you know, you're actually okay.
01:57It might just be a fitness issue, go and exercise.
01:59But there are other times when we need to actually do certain tests and evaluate things.
02:03He says annual heart check-ups are crucial for detecting potential heart issues early, which can significantly improve treatment outcomes and overall health, as these check-ups help identify risk factors.
02:16The check-up, of course, can be very varied, depends on what we're checking for.
02:20A minimum is, I think, a physical evaluation.
02:25In terms of cardiovascular health, we would recommend the least an electrocardiogram or an ECG done as part of the evaluation.
02:31Blood tests are very important.
02:33As I said, numbers are hard to see in the person.
02:37You can have a very high cholesterol and feel nothing.
02:39You can have a very high blood sugar and feel nothing.
02:41So it is a little bit of a numbers game.
02:43But the physical check-up can be, unfortunately, very misleading.
02:48And I go back to that analogy of people being very physically fit, being in the gym, playing sports, and yet still getting heart disease.
02:54So it's definitely not as black as I'm just looking at a patient and saying, hey, you're looking fit, you're looking strong, when in reality the person is not.
03:00I am Sharla Kisto with tonight's Health Watch.
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