Bermuda residents were urged to be mindful of “suspicious” cardiac issues amid a high number of hypertension cases being observed.

Pornpat Chandrruangphen, a renowned British cardiologist who worked in the National Health Service for two decades, joined the team at North Shore Medical Aesthetics Centre recently as a consultant.

At NMAC, he delivers in-person cardiac consultations and a comprehensive range of non-invasive diagnostic tests to residents.

Dr Chandrruangphen said that from his research and interactions, he concluded that the excessive number of cases of high blood pressure in Bermuda may be tied to factors such as diet and ethnic background.

He said he was still analysing and collecting demographic data of Bermuda’s health population and intended to talk with cardiologists on island to have a grasp of the underlying cardiology issues and trends.

However, he said: “I am coming across the same set of issues that I came across in the UK.

“There is coronary artery disease, people who have had heart attacks before, patients with heart-valve disease and a lot of patients with hypertension or high blood pressure.

“The demographics are not dissimilar to what you see in the UK.

“Obviously, the experience that I’ve got of treating these conditions in the UK should be directly applicable to the population here.”

His advice to residents is not to ignore any “suspicious cardiac symptoms” of heart disease, which he said were fuelled by physical activity.

He said: “If you experience shortness of breath or you start to feel chest pains during exertion, those clearly shouldn’t be ignored and should be looked into.

“People often put it down to maybe they are just a bit unfit or getting old.”

He said recurring palpations, abnormal heartbeats or sudden blackouts without warning were also “red flag” symptoms that one should take seriously.

Palpitations could indicate that an individual is suffering from atrial fibrillation, which he noted is a significant risk factor for stroke.

“It increases one’s stroke risk by many folds and it is treatable if it is diagnosed,” Dr Chandrruangphen said.

Individuals may wish to purchase a blood pressure monitor and record checks at home on a regular basis.

He explained: “When we come for a clinic visit or a health check-up, the clinic blood pressure reading is usually not the same as at home.

“It may be a bit higher and then people may dismiss it as, that’s because they are at the clinic.

“Having recorded your blood pressure over time, it gives you a truer picture of what your blood pressure is.”

He said most modern blood pressure monitors on the market could tell someone whether their blood pressure was high or normal.

He explained: “I think that’s very useful and helpful because quite a lot of patients with high blood pressure do not have any symptoms.

“In fact the vast majority of patients with high blood pressure are asymptomatic and yet they are at higher risk of heart disease.”

During his career, he implanted approximately 200 defibrillators in patients annually. He said that he always felt satisfied when his patients provided positive feedback on treatment he had administered.

Dr Chandrruangphen said he was “very impressed” with NMAC’s facilities. He added that the centre had modern equipment and a comprehensive laboratory to treat patients.

He said: “We are looking to get heart-rhythm monitors so that we can monitor patients at home with any suspected heart-rhythm issues.”

He said he intended to enhance NMAC’s ability to treat patients without having to “burden” the waiting list at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

He added: “If we can provide a relatively comprehensive service and deal with most of the less complicated cardiac issues within this clinic, that could only be to the benefit of the patient.”

He said access to cardiac care was challenging around the world but he hoped that his presence in Bermuda could ease the burden on heart patients.

He added: “Early treatment and early diagnosis is going to translate into better outcomes and less expenditure for the patient and the health economy in the long run.”

Dr Chandrruangphen also advised residents to be cautious of the type of meals they consumed, especially “ultra-processed” foods.

While he could not say how the cost of living impacted residents’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables, he said “modern Western diets” tended to be high in salt, fat and sugars.

He said ultra-processed foods contained salt and sugar, which the body did not need: “It is very important that people are very mindful of what they put into their bodies.

“It’s like a car — you put cheap fuel into a car, it is not going to run very well and it is going to break down sooner.”