Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/306555
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 MAY 2014 11 News deaths over the previous year. Maltese post-PPCI patients are more likely to avoid smoking rather than to engage in aerobic physical activities and consuming a healthy diet. PPCI – percutaneous coronary intervention – is commonly known as an angioplasty, a non-surgical procedure to treat narrowed heart arteries. "The findings revealed that a number of patients fail to adhere to cardio-protective lifestyle meas- ures. In fact, the total average rate of cardio-protective lifestyle adherence to all seven goals – not smoking, physical activities as per guidelines, consuming five fruits and vegetables per day, consuming three portions of oily fish per week, avoiding high salt, sugar, saturated and trans-fats – amounted to only 52.5%," Mifsud said of his survey results. He said the "undesirable results" were similarly reported in various other studies, and that while over 78% will stop smoking, only 30.6% take up exercise and only 51% con- sume a healthy diet. Quitting – exercising – eating better A large proportion of patients (68.9%) reported that they were smokers prior to their cardiac event for at least 37.5 smoking years. Out of these, 31.6% stated that they still smoked following their cardiac intervention, with an aver- age number of 13 cigarettes per day. Of those still smoking at interview, 90.5% (or 42) reported that they 're- ally tried quitting'. "The fact is, that in patients who have been smokers and experience an atherosclerotic cardiac event, quitting reduces the risk of a recur- rent cardiac event by up to 50%, yet the present study revealed that up to 31.6% of the Maltese post-PPCI pa- tients, are currently smoking with an average number of 13 cigarettes per day," Mifsud said. 69.4% considered themselves to be physically active – but only 30.6% were actually exercising five times a week As for food, in all 29%, 32.6% and 25.9% were consuming foods high in salt content, saturated and trans fats, and sugar content – respectively. Moreover, 36.3% stated that they were getting the daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables and 9.8 % the recommended weekly intake of oily fish. "They are not following a healthy diet. The fact that 40.4% reported having an inability to understand food labels and 34% having inabili- ties to estimate portion sizes, makes it more likely that Maltese patients are consuming foods high in salt, fat and sugar, such as 'ham, bacon, sausages, table salt, fatty meats, fatty cheeses, puff pastries, fried food, Soft drinks, cakes and biscuits'," Mifsud, citing examples used at interview. "If Maltese PPCI patients will not change their dietary habits, weight improvement is unlikely to happen," Mifsud said, citing the low intake of oily fish. Mifsud said Mediterranean diet food items were more costly, espe- cially fish. However, although low income was the second most recog- nized barrier amongst the Maltese PPCI patients, there was no signifi- cant association with low adherence to oily fish, and fruit and vegetables. "Other factors are putting Maltese PPCI patients in difficulty to adhere to a diet low in refined sugar, salt, saturated and trans saturated fats while increasing the daily consump- tion of fruit, vegetables and oily fish. Indeed it seems that the Maltese post-PPCI patients are not follow- ing the typical Mediterranean diet, despite Malta's central location in the Mediterranean sea. This could be due to the globalization which has taken place along the years, condi- tioning the Maltese to abandon the traditional healthy Mediterranean diet," Mifsud said. Mifsud suggests that it is lack of knowledge on the dangers of high trans and saturate fats in foods, that post-PPCI Maltese patients suffer from. "Similarly, in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), it was found that a high consumption of meat and fats and a low consumption of olive oil and fish were inversely correlated with educational level." Mifsud estimated that if Maltese PPCI patients had to fully adhere to smoking cessation, adequate physi- cal activities and food habits, "a large number of recurrent cardiac events could be prevented, reducing terti- ary healthcare costs. In return, more financial budget could be made available for preventive cardiology programmes." mvella@mediatoday.com.mt "They are not following a healthy diet. 40.4% reported having an inability to understand food labels and 34% having inabilities to estimate portion sizes" Lack of knowledge hinders heart patients from eating well Adherence rate to cardio-protective lifestyle measures Response No Yes Guidelines Not smoking now Count 42 151 Percentage 21.8% 78.2% Taking aerobic physical activities, of moderate intensity as per guidelines Count 134 59 Percentage 69.4% 30.6% Consuming at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day Count 123 70 Percentage 63.7% 36.3% Not consuming high sugary foods Count 50 143 Percentage 25.9% 74.1% Not consuming high salty foods Count 56 137 Percentage 29.0% 71.0% Not consuming high fatty foods Count 63 130 Percentage 32.6% 67.4% Consuming at least 3 portions of oily fish per week Count 174 19 Percentage 90.2% 9.8%