Thailand faces escalating heart and cardiovascular disease crisis

[CharlieH]

 

Thailand is grappling with a significant public health challenge as heart and cardiovascular diseases claim an alarming number of lives. According to data from the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), there were more than 23,667 deaths due to heart and cardiovascular issues, including strokes, in the first 198 days of 2024.

This staggering figure translates to an average of 119 deaths per day, highlighting an urgent need for intervention and awareness.

In 2023, for the whole year, there were a total of 33,756 deaths in Thailand for all the categories including deaths due to heart and cardiovascular disease including strokes. The figures for the first six months of 2024 show that a new record is expected for the whole of this year.

The data presented by the MOPH is derived from hospitals that participate in the national reporting system. However, many rural hospitals and certain private healthcare facilities do not contribute to this daily reporting, suggesting that the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher. This possible underreporting underscores the gravity of the heart disease epidemic in Thailand.

Breakdown of heart and cardiovascular deaths in 2024 so far

 

The detailed statistics for heart and cardiovascular disease-related deaths reveal a diverse array of conditions contributing to the crisis:

• Cerebral haemorrhage: 6,619 deaths
• Abnormalities of cardiac conduction and arrhythmias: 5,296 deaths
• Heart failure: 4,609 deaths
• Acute myocardial infarction: 3,852 deaths
• Other heart diseases: 940 deaths
• Other coronary heart diseases: 610 deaths
• Diseases of the arteries, sub-arteries, and other capillaries: 477 deaths
• Unconsciousness not classified as cerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction due to ischemia: 443 deaths
• Other cerebrovascular diseases: 255 deaths
• Other diseases of the circulatory system: 214 deaths
• Blood clots in arteries: 120 deaths
• Inflammation of veins with blood clots: 76 deaths
• Atherosclerosis: 76
• Chronic rheumatic heart disease: 64
• Transient cerebral infarction and associated symptoms: 16 deaths

These figures illustrate the wide range of cardiovascular conditions that are proving fatal for many Thais.

Photo from Shutterstock

Hypertension: An overlooked contributor

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another critical factor contributing to the mortality rate. Although not included in the cumulative cardiovascular death statistics, hypertension accounted for 664 deaths in 2024:

• High blood pressure without a leading cause: 604 deaths
• Other hypertension-related diseases: 60 deaths

The prevalence of hypertension is a significant concern, often serving as a precursor to more severe cardiovascular issues.

Root causes of the crisis

The rise in heart and cardiovascular diseases in Thailand can be attributed to several factors:

• Lifestyle Changes: Modern dietary habits, characterised by high consumption of processed foods and sugar, coupled with sedentary lifestyles, are major contributors. The shift from traditional diets to Western-style eating patterns has exacerbated health problems.
• Stress: Increasing levels of stress in both urban and rural settings, driven by economic pressures and fast-paced lifestyles, negatively impact cardiovascular health.
• Infections: Viral infections, including COVID-19, have been linked to heart and cardiovascular complications. While COVID-19 vaccines have been lifesaving, there are studies indicating that a small percentage of individuals may experience heart-related side effects.

Prevention and awareness of cardiovascular disease in Thailand

Addressing this public health crisis requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Public health campaigns: There is a critical need for widespread health campaigns to educate the public about the risks of heart disease and the importance of regular health screenings.
• Lifestyle modifications: Encouraging healthier lifestyles through diet, exercise, and stress management can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Initiatives to promote physical activity and healthier eating habits are essential.
• Healthcare access: Improving access to healthcare, especially in rural areas, is vital. Enhancing the reporting system to include more hospitals will provide a clearer picture of the epidemic and help allocate resources effectively.
• Research and monitoring: Continued research into the effects of COVID-19 and its vaccines on cardiovascular health is crucial. Monitoring the long-term impacts can help refine vaccination strategies and address any potential risks.

PHOTO: Ministry of Public Health

Thailand’s escalating heart and cardiovascular disease crisis demands urgent attention. With an average of 118 deaths per day, the nation faces a formidable challenge that threatens public health on a large scale. Comprehensive strategies involving public education, lifestyle changes, improved healthcare access, and ongoing research are necessary to combat this growing epidemic. Only through concerted efforts can Thailand hope to reduce the burden of heart disease and safeguard the health of its population.

Individuals wanting to arrange for detailed heart and cardiovascular health screening can contact MyMedTravel to arrange a consultation and also to procure attractive and promotional health screening packages at top leading hospitals.

 

 

 

 Dr. Nikhil Prasad

[rattlesnake]

We all know what is causing it.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

We all know what is causing it.

Atherosclerosis no doubt 

[JDW3]

A girl I loved in BKK passed away a year after her mandated injection. She was full of blood clots. 

[Classic Ray]

I am amazed at the difficulty in getting zero sugar/diet soft drinks in restaurants and some bars here. 
 

They just take up one slot on carbonation machines, and I would imagine the concentrate is cheaper than one containing sugar.

 

But with so much sugar being produced/consumed here, I suppose it will take many years to change bad habits. 
 

I am not saying diet drinks are healthier but at least they contain fewer calories.

[BE88]

What a disaster and yet the "conspiracy theorists" had warned them.

[Ombra]

I see that Western food is listed as one of the causes of the problem, but fried chicken existed here long before KFC and McDonald's, as well as very sugary snacks and drinks.  I remember, thirty years ago or more, searching in vain with my wife for dried fruit that was not covered in sugar. Despite that, everyone was slim, so what triggered the change? 

[sandyf]

On 7/19/2024 at 7:27 AM, Ralf001 said:

 

 

The Thais generally have always had an unhealthy diet, given pork knuckle they would rather eat the fat and skin than the meat. Sugar in almost everything they eat.

Nothing has changed, other than more detailed reporting.

[300sd]

On 7/19/2024 at 8:40 AM, sandyf said:

 

The Thais generally have always had an unhealthy diet, given pork knuckle they would rather eat the fat and skin than the meat. Sugar in almost everything they eat.

Nothing has changed, other than more detailed reporting.

Read the headline. It's increasing. What's the cause? Detailed reporting!

[sandyf]

10 minutes ago, Ombra said:

I see that Western food is listed as one of the causes of the problem, but fried chicken existed here long before KFC and McDonald's, as well as very sugary snacks and drinks.  I remember, thirty years ago or more, searching in vain with my wife for dried fruit that was not covered in sugar. Despite that, everyone was slim, so what triggered the change? 

Indeed, deep frying is almost in the DNA.

Yes many years ago there wa a higher percentage slim but mainly the young. I think modern day affluence has a lot to do with it. We go to the food court in the local market regularly and see the children tucking into the sweet junk they have on offer, many almost obese before they get to their teens, that then tends to determine their lifestyle.

The other problem is like my niece, growing up anything left on the table was given to her to finish off. Now she has grown up it goes to the dogs. She was obese at school but went to uni in China and lost the excess weight from financial restraint and stress.

[sandyf]

On 7/19/2024 at 8:55 AM, 300sd said:

Read the headline. It's increasing. What's the cause? Detailed reporting!

Only according to national reporting, nobody knows what the level was years ago, rural hospitals were the norm.

 

The data presented by the MOPH is derived from hospitals that participate in the national reporting system. However, many rural hospitals and certain private healthcare facilities do not contribute to this daily reporting, suggesting that the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher.

[loong]

I do not know a single Thai that eats western style food on a regular basis.

They all eat Thai style food swimming in fat though!

They eat belly pork in preference to lean meat, loads of sugary snacks etc.

Eating out, I trimmed the fat off of my meat (more fat than meat) and pushed it to the edge of my plate. The GF immediately ate it!

[sandyf]

7 minutes ago, loong said:

I do not know a single Thai that eats western style food on a regular basis.

They all eat Thai style food swimming in fat though!

They eat belly pork in preference to lean meat, loads of sugary snacks etc.

Eating out, I trimmed the fat off of my meat (more fat than meat) and pushed it to the edge of my plate. The GF immediately ate it!

A few years back I was out with a friend and he ordered chicken wings, what he got was the cartilage from the wing joint deep fried in batter, quite disgusting. Another time, a mate got a bowl of stewed chicken feet.

Like you my wife will scoop up any fat I discard.

[GmailJen]

So much processed meat and foods in supermarkets !  All full of sodium .    I have a job to find real butchers made fresh sausage .

When I looked for brown noodles I checked one packets and - not joking - it said over 40% sodium !   

Sadly,  supermarkets are being stocked piled high with products dumped from China as they are cheap , bulk buys with little import resistance . 

Luckily , in the countryside we have our own local fresh markets so don't depend on City Supermarkets .

SODIUM - a killer !! 

[ThaiFelix]

11 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Indeed, deep frying is almost in the DNA.

Yes many years ago there wa a higher percentage slim but mainly the young. I think modern day affluence has a lot to do with it. We go to the food court in the local market regularly and see the children tucking into the sweet junk they have on offer, many almost obese before they get to their teens, that then tends to determine their lifestyle.

The other problem is like my niece, growing up anything left on the table was given to her to finish off. Now she has grown up it goes to the dogs. She was obese at school but went to uni in China and lost the excess weight from financial restraint and stress.

Agreed.  When I first came here some 40 years ago fat people were uncommon, seemed almost everybody was slim.  Even the men seemed small in comparison to westerners.  But at the same time it was difficult to find milk, even in tourist areas and a loaf of bread, if you found one, was not much bigger than the Thai red building bricks you see everywhere.  Chips/french fries and potato crisps non existant.   Kids didnt have the money for coke or the milkshake drinks you see everywhere now.

 

I worked as a teacher for 10 years till 2013 and was astounded by the diets of these school children today.  Although they are given traditional Thai dishes for lunch many either dont eat it or eat little.  But as soon as they are allowed to leave the tables they are queuing up at the chicken stand for their fried chicken and chips.  Now sure you can say fried chicken has been around here as long as fire and you'd be correct.  However its the quantity consumed I think, not the species. 

 

Traditionally Thais eat a lot of rice, the greatest part of a meal and then lots of vegetables/salads with the meat (pork, fish, chicken etc) being the much lesser part of the meal along with the sauces.  I believe economic development since globalisation has lifted the economic well being of the average Thai and is reflected by the way thet eat.  They are eating less rice but bigger portions ofmeat because they can now afford it better.  Look at the Japanese during 1940's WW2 who were typically short in statue whereas today over 6 foot is not uncommon and mostly attributed to increased consumption of beef after the war.

 

Now add to that the sedentary nature of kids today who to me seem to spend most of the day staring at little black screens compared to the much more active kids of yesteryear fishing, hunting, exploring or playing sport etc.

[NorthernRyland]

Most Thai food is fried in the lowest quality oil possible. Greasy fried chicken and sticky rice for breakfast. All bread snacks are loaded full of palm oil shortening. 

[NorthernRyland]

19 minutes ago, sandyf said:

A few years back I was out with a friend and he ordered chicken wings, what he got was the cartilage from the wing joint deep fried in batter, quite disgusting. Another time, a mate got a bowl of stewed chicken feet.

 

How about the popular deep chicken tendons? It's like chewing an old rubber band dipped in oil. Yummy!

[rumeaug]

Not surprised. "Bad/junk" western diet (i emphasize this here, as traditional western diet is extremely different and varied from one place to the other, and often times quite healthy actually - ref. traditional french, italian, spanish, meditterranean diets) + poor quality thai food (which what you overwhelmingly get nowdays -gone are  the days of Thai high end traditional cooking...) , with crappy ingredients, terrible vegetable oils (soy bean, palm..), added sugar and glutamates of all kind + lack of exercise etc...etc....

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, 300sd said:

Read the headline. It's increasing. What's the cause? Detailed reporting!

Will someone please explain why when I first came to Thailand about 20 years ago, fat people were almost non existant, look around yourself today and you can't help but notice the amount of fat people about.

[lanng khao]

2 hours ago, GmailJen said:

So much processed meat and foods in supermarkets !  All full of sodium .    I have a job to find real butchers made fresh sausage .

When I looked for brown noodles I checked one packets and - not joking - it said over 40% sodium !   

Sadly,  supermarkets are being stocked piled high with products dumped from China as they are cheap , bulk buys with little import resistance . 

Luckily , in the countryside we have our own local fresh markets so don't depend on City Supermarkets .

SODIUM - a killer !! 

Phong chu rot,,,they love it..

[StandardIssue]

Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Hut, Dominos, 7-11 fast food. Is anyone surprised? I have been traveling here for over 20 years. There are more overweight Thai's now than before. Same as USA. Lot's of rolly polly humans waddling around the supermarkets and sitting in their cars at the McDonalds drive in.

 

I'm American but I'll be the first to admit that fast food brought into other countries is USA corporate encroachment. The USA bringing crap food fast food chains into theses markets is ruining the health of the world population as well as it's own. IMHO it's very similar to the sale and use of tobacco products.

[JackGats]

Not being able (nor willing) to walk or cycle anywhere, spending your day with your ass on a motorbike, eating food based on refined sugar, using beaches as rubbish tips selfie backdrop while never even learning to swim ....

 

Thailand's oppressive climate is bound to make anyone naturally lazy. To relieve such laziness the least one would need is roads with pedestrian pavements, crosswalks with drastic enforcement, bicycle paths, beaches kept clean for swimming.

 

[scubascuba3]

32 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Will someone please explain why when I first came to Thailand about 20 years ago, fat people were almost non existant, look around yourself today and you can't help but notice the amount of fat people about.

The growth of 7 Eleven and other junk good outlets are the cause

[StandardIssue]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The growth of 7 Eleven and other junk good outlets are the cause

Yes, as an American I'm not proud to say I'm fairly sure a lot of it has to do with American fast food and crap 7-11 food.

[rattlesnake]

4 hours ago, loong said:

I do not know a single Thai that eats western style food on a regular basis.

They all eat Thai style food swimming in fat though!

They eat belly pork in preference to lean meat, loads of sugary snacks etc.

Eating out, I trimmed the fat off of my meat (more fat than meat) and pushed it to the edge of my plate. The GF immediately ate it!

Animal fat is good for you.

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

Will someone please explain why when I first came to Thailand about 20 years ago, fat people were almost non existant, look around yourself today and you can't help but notice the amount of fat people about.

Sugar.

[kevozman1]

6 hours ago, 300sd said:

Read the headline. It's increasing. What's the cause? Detailed reporting!

 

They eat more and increasing amounts of processed sugar. 20 years ago nearly everyone would drink water with meals but now I see a massive increase of sugary drinks with meals. Just one example.

 

Increase in materialism also causing stress. 

 

Less activity. More people have motorbikes and cars. Although I have noticed an uptick in gym participation and sport activities, but obviously not the overall population.

 

A similar story in many regions of the world. 

[NorthernRyland]

9 hours ago, StandardIssue said:

Lot's of rolly polly humans waddling around the supermarkets and sitting in their cars at the McDonalds drive in.

 

Only Asian women are doing slightly OK. 50% of black and hispanic women are obese. FFS.

 

 

[Captor]

On 7/19/2024 at 3:33 AM, Ombra said:

I see that Western food is listed as one of the causes of the problem, but fried chicken existed here long before KFC and McDonald's, as well as very sugary snacks and drinks.  I remember, thirty years ago or more, searching in vain with my wife for dried fruit that was not covered in sugar. Despite that, everyone was slim, so what triggered the change? 

The amount of food this days are much higher. For example the life length was much higher during the depression in US during the 20's and 30's. It is the same here.

[Jaggg88]

On 7/18/2024 at 3:34 PM, CharlieH said:

While COVID-19 vaccines have been lifesaving, there are studies indicating that a small percentage of individuals may experience heart-related side effects.

 My mother had a stroke and massive bleed on her brain 12 hours after receiving her Moderna bivalent vaccine. Her doctor and the hospital refused to report her death as vaccine-related. I think that 'small percentage' is much larger than the authorities want to admit.