Heart Disease A Big Killer in Hong Kong

In 2004, more than 5,860 people died of heart diseases in Hong Kong, according to statisticscompiled by the Hong Kong Government's Departmentof Health. The figures show that more than 1,000people die of sudden heart failure each year, due --in some cases -- to asymptomatic acute heart failure.

The heart is the organ that supplies blood to allparts of the body enabling the body to function properly. A healthy adult has 100,000 heartbeats everyday, pumping 8,000 liters of blood to the body.The heart's coronary artery is vital for supporting the heart and if it is blocked or narrowed, heartfailure, heart palpitation and even death will occur.

People should seek medical advice if they have symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath,swelling of the lower limb, persistent tiredness,insomnia, coughing, bubbles in their phlegm, abdominaldistension, loss of appetite, deterioration of memory,etc.

As coronary heart disease is the major cause ofacute heart disease, people should pay attention tothe factors that cause it. These include hypertension,high cholesterol level, obesity, smoking, family historyof cardiovascular disease, stress and lack of regular exercises.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a balance diet andregular body checks are important preventive measures for heart diseases.

Extract from the Health feature by University of Hong Kong

First Study on Novel Treatment for Snoring

Snoring refers to rough noisy breathing during sleep, which is usually cuased by the vibration of the uvula and soft palate. About 24 to 50 percent of men na d 14 to 30 percent of women suffer from disturbing snoring.

Researches from the Division of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Sugery Facultyof Medicine, the University of Hong Kong have conducted the world's first study on a novel treatment in managing disturbing snoring. They tackled soft tissue vibration caused by airflow turbulence in the snorer's airway by inserting three snippets of polyester braid into the mouths of 12 patients. This has the effect of stiffening the soft palate and dampening its movement as a result of resonance and reduce the snoring sound. The whole process last only around 15 minutes and is found to be an effective and safe treatment for snoring.

Significant improvements were found in patients including the spouses' ratings of the the loudness ofsnoring. The scoring of snoring loudness decreased from a mean of 79 out of 100 before the procedure, to 48 at threemonths afterwards.

Extract from the Health feature by University of Hong Kong