SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1982
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CALL FOR FIGHT AGAINST HEART DISEASES
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THE EXECUTIVE BOARD DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG HEART FOUNDATION, DR RAYMOND W.Y. WU, CALLED TODAY FOR GREATER EFFORTS IN COMBATING THE INCREASING INCIDENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN HONG KONG.
AN AVERAGE SOME 20 PEOPLE DIE OF HEART DISEASES AND STROKES EACH DAY IN HONG KONG, HE SAID IN A SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF AN EXHIBITION ON HEART HEALTH AT THE NEW WORLD CENTRE.
THE EXHIBITION IS ONE OF MANY HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY THE CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HONG KONG CARDIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE FOUNDATION.
DR WU EXPLAINED THAT THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IS ATHEROSCLEROSIS, THE HARDENING AND THICKENING, CLOGGING AND NARROWING OF VITAL ARTERIES CARRYING NOURISHING BLOOD TO THE MUSCLE TISSUE OF THE HEART, AND TO THE CELLS OF THE BRAIN.
ATHEROSCLEROSIS, HE SAID, IS RELATED TO A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, SUCH AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL, SMOKING, OVERWEIGHT, LACK OF EXERCISE, TENSION AND STRESS AND HEREDITY.
+ IF A PERSON IS BESET BY ANY ONE OF THESE FACTORS, THE RISK OF A HEART ATTACK IS RAISED TWO TO SIX TIMES ABOVE THE PERSON FREE FROM SUCH A BURDEN, AND WITH A COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS, THE RISK IS FAR GREATER,+ HE SAID,
HOWEVER, SOMETHING COULD BE DONE IN MOST OF THESE FACTORS, AND ONE COULD PLAN TO ENJOY A HEALTHIER AND LONGER LIFE.
HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO LEARN FROM HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES TO ESTABLISH HEALTHIER BEHAVIOUR AND WAYS TO PREVENT THE DISEASE.
IN A WELCOMING ADDRESS, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR (KOWLOON) OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DR LAWRENCE LAI SAID THAT THE EXHIBITION WAS THE FIRST DISTRICT EXHIBITION ON IMPORTANT HEALTH SUBJECTS.
WITH THE ADVENT OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HAD REACHED A NEW PINNACLE, HE SAID.
+ IT IS HOPED THAT THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THE HEART HEALTH MESSAGE CONVEYED IN THIS EXHIBITION CAN BE PROPAGATED FAR AND WIDE SO THAT WE CAN ALL ENJOY A HEALTHIER HEART RIGHT FROM THE START, HE SAID.
THE EXHIBITION WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM TODAY TO WEDNESDAY BETWEEN 9 AM TO 6 PM DAILY.
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