黄鸿升独居猝死 本地年轻独居者有何反思？(What reflections do young people who live alone have about Alien Huang’s accidental death?)

​Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Director of NUHCS shared that the survival rate of cardiac arrest at home is only 2%. He added that most cardiac arrest victims are the elderly who suffer from coronary artery diseases Prof Tan also highlighted four main causes - congenital heart disease, family history, arrhythmia and heart diseases caused by viruses.

本地科学家发现六种蛋白质 可预测心脏病发后导致衰竭 (Local scientists discover six new proteins to predict heart failure after heart attack)

​Led by A/Prof Mark Chan from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Senior Consultant of the Department of Cardiology at the NUHCS; Professor A. Mark Richards, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Senior Consultant of the Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, Singapore, the study discovered six “highest-priority” proteins for other researchers to focus their efforts on - NPPB, TNNT2, ANGPT2, THBS2, LTBP4 and FSTL3.  Of these six proteins, two were well-established biomarkers of heart failure after a heart attack: TNNT2 and NT-proBNP.  Identifying heart attack patients who are at high risk of developing heart failure would enable doctors to intervene earlier and prevent heart failure from occurring.    

Tuesday Report – One Metre Apart （星期二特写：一米的距离）

Dedicated to the frontline healthcare workers battling Covid-19 pandemic, episode 3 of the One Metre Apart docuseries featured NUH’s longest staying patient, Mdm Choy Wai Chee, and her care team including Dr Ramanathan K.R. and Dr Winn Maung Maung Aye from the Department of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, NUHCS; and Dr See Kay Choong, Head and Senior Consultant from the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, NUH.
 
The documentary also featured A/Prof Zubair Amin, Head and Senior Consultant at the Department of Neonatology and Dr Maleena Suppiah, Senior Assistant Director, Clinical Education Office, NTFGH, who volunteered to provide medical care for the migrant workers at the dormitories under the care of NUHS. SSN Shelly Kia from the NUH isolation wards was featured as one of the frontliners, who spent many of her working hours caring for people who are suspected to have Covid-19.

NUS team’s map sheds light on heart diseases

​Researchers from NUS Medicine and NUH have developed a coherent map of genes in the heart and looked at how they may cause heart diseases, which could pave the way for new treatments for these illnesses. Led by Prof Roger Foo, Department of Medicine at NUS Medicine and Senior Consultant at NUHCS, the research is part of the Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, one of nine new strategic research focus areas established by NUS Medicine to create greater synergy and collaboration between basic and clinical scientists within NUHS, and deliver research outcomes that address current clinical and national healthcare issues. Prof Chng Wee Joo, Vice-Dean of Research at NUS Medicine, commented that the school hopes that the nine programmes will make some real impact on patient treatments and on the health of the population.

• Lianhe Zaobao, 5 September 2020, Page 12

NUS researchers develop first ‘gene map’ that helps scientists better understand heart diseases

​Researchers from NUH and NUS Medicine developed the first genetic ‘connectome’ map which will help scientists to understand heart diseases better and eventually help create targeted treatments. Led by Prof Roger Foo, Department of Medicine at NUS Medicine and Senior Consultant at NUHCS, the research team studied tissues from 36 healthy hearts and 34 failing hearts and took five years to develop the genetic map. The research is part of the Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, one of nine new strategic research focus areas established by NUS Medicine to deliver research outcomes that address current clinical and national healthcare issues. Prof Chng Wee Joo, Vice-Dean of Research at NUS Medicine, commented that the school hopes that the nine programmes will make some real impact on patient treatments and on the health of the population.

如何给高血压下定义 (How to define high blood pressure)

​Report highlighted Q&A with Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Director, NUHCS, on how people can tell if one has hypertension from blood pressure readings. He shared that hypertension mainly refers to a continuous increase in blood pressure and recommended that blood pressure measurement be taken when one is calm and resting.

Back from the brink

​TM featured a patient who had recovered after battling pulmonary embolism and multiple cardiac arrests. The article carried quotes by Dr Asim Shabbir, Senior Consultant, Division of General Surgery (Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery), NUH, and Dr Jimmy Hon, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, NUHCS, who treated the patient while he was in NUH.   

仅一成心脏病患者 术后参与康复计划 (Only 1 in 10 heart attack patients participate in rehab programme after surgery)

​Assistant Professor Yeo Tee Joo, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, NUHCS, highlighted the importance of cardiac rehabilitation for patients after heart surgery. ZB also highlighted that NUHCS will be organising a public webinar on 29 August. 

Ask the experts: Managing and treating inherited heart disease ATTR-CM

Dr Lin Weiqin, Consultant, Department of Cardiology at NUHCS, addressed four questions about management and treatment of the Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) condition.

Long-term effects of Covid-19 infection being studied here

​Associate Professor Sophia Archuleta, Head and Senior Consultant, Division of Infectious Diseases, NUH said that the recovery process has been predictable for the vast majority of patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Singapore. However, experts including Prof Archuleta say the disease still needs to be studied further. Elaborating on the link between COVID-19 and heart inflammation, Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Director and Senior Consultant, NUHCS, said that troponin, a blood cardiac marker, is found at elevated levels in up to 30% of COVID-19 patients, a sign of heart injury possibly from heart inflammation or myocarditis. Dr See Kay Choong, Head, Division of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, NUH, also noted that most patients who needed machine support for breathing would need a period of rehabilitation and continued monitoring for residue lung damage. Dr Michael Yong, Group Chief, Psychological Medicine, NUHS and Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Psychiatry, NTFGH, said that post-COVID-19 care is needed for both the body and the mind and recovered patients can experience psychological effects ranging from mild adjustment to severe depression and anxiety disorders. 

久坐危害健康 少坐多动胜于短暂运动 (Prolonged sitting has a negative impact on one’s health - sit less and move more instead of short exercises)

​Dr Yeo Tee Joo, Consultant at the Department of Cardiology, NUHCS, highlighted that many recent studies involving large populations has outlined the dangers of prolonged sitting and sedentary behaviour.  He mentioned the longer the duration of continuous sitting, or the more time spent sitting in total, the higher the risk of death. The risks of many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer, is associated with prolonged sitting.  

你了解外周血管病吗 (Do you understand peripheral vascular disease?)

​Commentary by Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Senior Consultant and Director, NUHCS, highlighted the symptoms and risk factors for peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and noted that early detection and holistic intervention can help prevent or lessen the progress of PVD.

新加坡心脏基金 几代人耕耘贴心半世纪 (SHF: Generations of hard work at the heart of a 50-year endeavour)

​In-depth interview with Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Director of NUHCS and Chairman of the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) outlines the achievements of SHF over the past 50 years, as it celebrated its anniversary in April 2020.  As the head of both NUHCS and SHF, Prof Tan noted that there are synergistic partnerships between the two organisations, which enhance rehabilitation services, public education and preventive care research.  

No link between Covid-19 risk and hypertension drugs

Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Chairman of Singapore Heart Foundation, who is also Director of NUHCS, shared it is important for those with hypertension to maintain normal blood pressure during the pandemic. He said about 20% of Covid-19 patients in Singapore had pre-existing hypertension.  Among the 23 deaths so far, 10 patients aged between 60 and 86 were reported to have a history of hypertension.  Hypertension can result in complications such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic kidney failure, abnormal heart rhythms and stroke, which can worsen the general health and immunity of Covid-19 patients, especially the elderly, he added.
 
In another article on – “Blood clots and Covid-19”, he said that coronavirus are well known to increase blood coagulability. This means blood clots tend to form more easily within the circulatory system with serious complications.  In deep vein thrombosis, a clot forms in a vein deep in the body, often in the leg.  If the clot travels to the lung, it could cause a pulmonary embolism – blocking of a major blood vessels and gangrenous toes.  He emphasised the importance of monitoring Covid-19 patients for such potential complications.

冠状动脉介入治疗 历史回顾及未来展望 (Percutaneous coronary intervention – a historical look back and future prospects)

​Commentary by Professor Tan Huay Cheem, Director and Senior Consultant, NUHCS, noted that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has developed tremendously in Singapore since it was first introduced in 1984.  Prof Tan outlined the historical developments of PCI and noted that specialists in Singapore are at the forefront of clinical and research advances in PCI treatment, leading to extended lifespan and better quality of life for patients.