title: Women's cardiovascular health: perspectives from South-East Asia.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an under-recognized major health problem among women in South-East Asia. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese has shown a significantly increasing trend among women in the region, with the exception of Singapore. The problem is compounded by low awareness that CVD is a health problem for women as well as for men, by misconceptions about the disease, and by the lack of suitable, locally available health literature. Efforts have been made by the national heart associations and other organizations to increase heart health awareness and promote healthy lifestyles. Singapore initiated these prevention programs in the early 1990s and has been successful in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. The governments of the region, in accordance with the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance, have begun implementing appropriate preventive strategies and improving health-delivery systems. However, psychological, social, and cultural barriers to cardiovascular health awareness in women need to be addressed before these programs can be fully and successfully implemented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya 1, Jalan SS 12/1A, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. rjeyacardio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jeyamalar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajadurai
authors.forename: Eleanor A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Anna Ulfah
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Rahajoe
authors.forename: Ping Ping
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Yingnoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uboldejpracharak
authors.forename: Robaayah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zambahari
mesh_terms: D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology; D010465:Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking; D016387:Women's Health