Preventing the 'wave' of non-communicable diseases in Vietnam

Cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, and diabetes are alarming non-communicable diseases in Vietnam today - Photo: THU HIEN

Non-communicable diseases have become a pressing issue as the incidence of these diseases has increased sharply in recent years.

What is the main cause and how to prevent this wave of non-communicable diseases?

More than 3 million people have high blood pressure

According to a report by the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City, in the first 4 months of 2025, with non-communicable diseases, the Southern provinces detected more than 3 million people with high blood pressure, with more than 1.4 million people being managed and treated (48.5%); the total number of detected diabetes was more than 1.2 million people, of which more than 656,000 people were managed and treated (53.1%).

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Van Tan (Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy), although the life expectancy of Vietnamese people has increased, the health status of the elderly in Vietnam has clearly declined with age. The number of people with 1-2 diseases is the most common, accounting for 75.57% of the total elderly population, while the rate of 3 or more diseases has also increased slightly in the oldest age group, reaching 1.34%.

It is worth mentioning that the health sector is facing many challenges, the disease model has shifted from infectious diseases to chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental disorders.

These diseases not only cause functional decline but also increase the risk of disability, typically loss of vision, hearing, chronic pain, affecting quality of life.

Health care costs in this population are 7-8 times higher than for children, creating a financial burden.

Associate Professor Do Kim Que, deputy director of Thong Nhat Hospital (HCMC), said that the main reason for the increase in the rate of non-communicable diseases in the elderly is due to increased life expectancy.

In addition, due to the current lifestyle, less and less exercise; life pressure, tension, prolonged stress also easily leads to the promotion of the above diseases. In addition, unhealthy diet, nutrition, dirty food, fast food... contribute to the increase of these diseases.

Many Vietnamese people have high blood cholesterol levels.

Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) has warned about dyslipidemia, also known as increased blood lipid levels, which is a type of disease that we often call dyslipidemia.

Dyslipidemia is becoming a worrying health problem in modern society and is a very dangerous non-infectious disease of humans.

According to data from recent surveys, in just the past 10 years, the rate of people with high blood cholesterol (total cholesterol of 5.0 mmol/L or higher or taking medication) has skyrocketed from 30.2% to 44.1%.

This rapid increase means that nearly half of Vietnam's population is now facing the potential risk of dangerous cardiovascular diseases caused by lipid disorders such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke.

Associate Professor Nguyen Hoai Nam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, said that in science it is called lipid metabolism disorder, but in common people it is called dyslipidemia.

Lipid metabolism disorders include disorders of cholesterol metabolism and other types of fat, including triglycerides. Currently, doctors are focusing on the two main types of fat in the patient's body: cholesterol and triglycerides.

There are also two types of cholesterol: high molecular weight cholesterol (HDL) and low molecular weight cholesterol (LDL).

While LDL cholesterol is the direct cause of atherosclerosis, if combined with inflammation and damage to the vascular wall, it can cause high blood pressure and stroke or heart attack.

HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol for the body, fighting against atherosclerosis. Other types of fat, mainly triglycerides, are common lipid metabolism disorders and can cause atherosclerosis.

It is found that 75% of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are synthesized by the liver, called endogenous lipids. Meanwhile, the remaining 25% is from food taken in through the digestive tract, also known as exogenous lipids. Of which, it is worth noting foods that are high in lipids and cholesterol such as eggs, fat, organs, animals...

Causes of lipid metabolism disorders include non-modifiable causes such as age.

Next is the genetic cause, which cannot be changed. Usually in families where the mother has high cholesterol, it is often passed on to the children, especially daughters.

In addition, there are also diseases of the liver and gallbladder, fatty liver... which will also increase cholesterol production, increasing endogenous cholesterol.

The final modifiable cause is diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to help lower cholesterol.

To prevent dyslipidemia, Dr. Hoai Nam advises people to limit eating foods that easily cause cholesterol, and to eat traditional ethnic dishes such as vegetables, fish...

In the spirit of the 19th World Congress of Cardiology held in Jakarta (Indonesia) since 1997: "Let's eat according to the tradition of what our ancestors ate, we eat that."

Ways to prevent

Associate Professor Kim Que believes that the above diseases can be proactively prevented, but the most important thing is to detect the disease early. Therefore, people need to have regular health screenings to detect the disease and reduce the burden of treatment.

No matter how good prevention is, disease cannot be avoided. Early detection is very important for better treatment.

For example, patients with atherosclerosis, coronary artery stenosis, cerebral artery stenosis, if detected early, only need medical treatment and lifestyle changes to reduce the risk and complications of future diseases.

Similarly, cancer can be diagnosed early, reducing the burden of disease.

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DONATION - THANH PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngan-lan-song-benh-khong-lay-nhiem-tai-viet-nam-20250519000055199.htm