The number of people in Brunei with blood vessel diseases, which lead to strokes, is “disproportionate” to the population, a health expert told The Brunei Times yesterday.

Dr Haroon Pillay, head of the Neurosurgery Department at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (Ripas) Hospital, blamed the disproportion on “faulty lifestyles”.

“Considering the population of Brunei, we have quite a significant number of people with blood vessel disorders, which is “disproportionate” to the population.

“Blood vessels can have many types of disorders, such as vessels becoming thick and blocked, or where it can burst and rupture,” he said on the sidelines of the “Vascular Symposium” at The Empire Hotel and Country Club.

He explained blood vessel disorders were either caused by a genetic disorder which was inherited from either one of the patients’ parents, or acquired from unhealthy food habits.

“(These type of patients) eat plenty of fatty foods and lack exercise, which will thicken the walls,” he added.

However, Dr Pillay said one way of preventing the occurrence of blood vessel disorders was if patients went for “regular screening, blood pressure checkups, blood sugar check-ups and blood cholesterol check-ups.”

“If people do not come for these regular check-ups, but have these blood vessel disorders, it can either rupture or it can get blocked. In the brain, if it gets blocked, they will get a stroke. If it ruptures, they will also get a stroke,” he said.

He explained that if a patient suffered from a mild stroke, the patient’s well-being would be weakened. If the stroke is severe, it may cause a person to die.

“If they (patients) are lucky and come in with a mild stroke, then they may recover. If they are unlucky, they may die or become permanently disabled.”

With the launch of the Neuroscience, Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre (NSRC) at Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) on July 19, Dr Pillay said Ripas will be “strongly collaborating” with JPMC for stroke management and rehabilitation.

“With our recent directive, if a patient comes to Ripas with symptoms of stroke and is fully conscious, we will refer him/her straight away to JPMC.

“If the patient is unconscious, we will do a CT scan and if it shows a haemorrhage, then we will admit the patient into Ripas,” he added.

Dr Pillay advised the public to safeguard their health by doing regular exercise, reduce fatty and fried foods and “be happy”.

He also encouraged the public to take a blood test and blood pressure test every six months. “However, if results are shown to be “abnormal” depending on how abnormal it is, then a patient should come in for a check-up every month or every two months,” he said.

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