Ministry launches action month on excess cholesterol prevention

Speaking
at the launch ceremony in Hanoi on October 16, Deputy Minister of Health
Nguyen Truong Son said that excess cholesterol caused cardiovascular diseases,
one of NCDs that are the leading cause of death globally.

“In
Vietnam, NCDs are the leading cause of death. For every 10 deaths, seven people
die from NCDs, focusing on diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and
chronic lung disease,” said Son.

In
2016, there were 548,800 deaths, of which 77 percent were caused by NCDs in Vietnam.
For every 10 cardiovascular patients, three have high cholesterol levels and
more than half of women aged 50-69 have high cholesterol, according to Son.

It
is estimated that Vietnam yearly has an average of 12.5 million people with
hypertension, 3.5 million people with diabetes, 2 million people with chronic
heart and lung disease and nearly 126,000 new cases of cancer and mental
disorders, according to the health ministry.

Experts
said that globalization, urbanisation and environmental change were
factors that increase unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, abuse of alcohol
and beer, inadequate eating and physical inactivity. And it is these risk
factors that lead to the development of NCDs, including excess cholesterol. The
rate of in Vietnam was high, mainly derived from sedentary
lifestyles, especially inadequate dietary and unbalanced nutritional habits of
Vietnamese people.

The
action month aims to promote the prevention of NCDs in Vietnam. During the
month, the Ministry of Health will focus activities on strengthening
communication and health education in the community and management of NCDs from
the grassroots level. Free communication, consultation and testing sessions for
people will be held in five provinces and cities and 15 hospitals across the
country.

Health
experts suggested measures to reduce excess cholesterol, including minimising
eating and drinking high cholesterol foods; adding beneficial fats from sea
fishes and vegetable oils to daily diet, practising a healthy lifestyle;
increasing physical activities such as regular exercise (walking, cycling,
swimming); and giving up smoking or limiting alcoholic drinks./.