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Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society Public Education Forum 2019
In recognition of the increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) Public Education Forum 2019, organised by the Singapore Heart Foundation and initiated by the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society and Singapore Cardiac Society, took place at The Lifelong Learning Institute, Lecture Theatre on the 21 Sep 2019, to raise awareness of AF with a special focus on sudden cardiac death (SCD).
AF is the most common heart rhythm disorder and it affects millions of people around the world. The condition increases with age – it is very unusual in people below the age of 30 but affects as many as 1 in 20 (i.e. 5%) people over the age of 65. Alarmingly, two-thirds of those with atrial fibrillation do not know that they are affected by the condition. AF is a concern in Singapore due to the rapid ageing population. In 2030, there will be 1.8 million people who are aged 65 years or older and by 2050, this number is expected to rise to 3.08 million. This means that in about three decades, almost half (47%) of Singapore’s total population will be at least 65 years old.
Guest of Honour Professor Fatimah Lateef, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Marine Parade GRC, graced the event with close to 500 participants in attendance. Conducted in both English and Mandarin, experts weighed in on the conditions and also highlighted the precautionary measures that can prevent the onset of AF and SCD. The event concluded with the ‘Ask the Expert’ session, where the panel of guest speakers addressed questions from the floor. Exhibitor booths at the forum, like HTM Medico, Stroke Services Improvement and Polar Electro, featured health-related information for the participants as well.
Special thanks and appreciation to all sponsors:
Gardenia Foods (S) Pte Ltd, IMI Lifestyle Products Pte Ltd, Brilliant Marketing Pte Ltd, F&N Foods Pte Ltd, GSK Singapore, Philips Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd, Nin Jiom Singapore Pte Ltd and Matrix Star Marketing Pte Ltd
