‘Golden hour’ to treat heart attack

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Seeking medical attention within the first hour of suffering a heart attack is critical to improving one's chances of survival.
Emphasising that it was the “golden hour” to treat the “silent killer,” Prof Dr Wan Azman Wan Ahmad, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) cardiology unit head, said that the risk of death among heart attack victims increased when they did not seek treatment in time.
“They present themselves at the hospital too late because they lack awareness. They visit the general practitioner first because they think it is something like indigestion,” he told reporters yesterday after the Larian Kardio 2007 Charity Run at Universiti Malaya.
“If they seek help more than 12 hours after the heart attack, there is not much we can do to save the heart muscles,” he added.
The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, who flagged off the run, also took part in the VIP category. Raja Nazrin donated RM100,000, bringing the total raised so far for the Larian Kardio fund to RM340,519.
The fund, which was set up in June, seeks to help underprivileged heart patients from UMMC, with the hospital's welfare department screening those patients who qualify for aid.
The event's chairman, Associate Prof Dr Haizal Haron Kamar, said the fund was important as it could treat more needy heart patients.
“The money from the welfare department is not enough. We normally finish up the allocation by August,” he said.
To contribute to the fund, call 03-8075 6000 for details.