PATTAYA, Thailand – Cardiologist Dr. Benjapa (Benji) Phanthasuporn from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya urged attendees at the June 24 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) to take a prevention-first approach to heart health. During her wide-ranging presentation, she also warned that most serious chronic illnesses develop quietly over years before symptoms appear.
Dr. Benji told the audience that cardiovascular disease remains one of the most important health threats facing older adults but emphasized that many risks can be reduced through consistent daily habits. Her talk focused on the “silent killers” of modern health, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and other non-communicable diseases.
The presentation echoed global public health concerns. The World Health Organization reports that non-communicable diseases killed at least 43 million people in 2021, representing 75 percent of non-pandemic-related deaths worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for the largest share, with at least 19 million deaths that year.
Using the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” framework, Dr. Benji described heart health as a form of long-term investment. Rather than encouraging dramatic overnight change, she asked attendees to choose one manageable habit and build from there.
“Health is similar to wealth,” she said, explaining that small daily “deposits” can accumulate over time. The eight areas she highlighted included healthy sleep and stress management, better eating, physical activity, blood sugar control, healthy weight, cholesterol management, and blood pressure control. She also emphasized the importance of not smoking.
Much of Dr. Benji’s presentation centered on practical lifestyle guidance. She encouraged a diet built around vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains, fish, plant-based proteins, nuts and unsaturated fats. She advised limiting added sugar, sodium, ultra-processed foods and alcohol, while noting that healthy eating should be viewed as an overall pattern rather than a pursuit of perfection.
She also emphasized movement, recommending 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, along with strength training and regular breaks from prolonged sitting. Even modest changes, such as walking 10 more minutes a day, taking the stairs or adding vegetables to meals, can help people begin improving their health, she said.
During the question-and-answer session, audience members raised concerns about high blood pressure, aspirin and statin use, long-term medications, atrial fibrillation, abnormal ECG results and diet. Dr. Benji stressed that high blood pressure can be dangerous even without symptoms because it can gradually damage blood vessels and raise the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and other complications.
She cautioned against taking aspirin or statins casually for prevention without medical supervision. Statins, she said, may be appropriate depending on individual cardiovascular risk, while aspirin for primary prevention is not necessary for everyone because of bleeding risk.
Questions about atrial fibrillation prompted a discussion of stroke prevention, anticoagulants and ablation. Dr. Benji said anticoagulants such as Xarelto can play an important role in reducing stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation, while ablation may be an option for some patients but does not always eliminate the need for continued monitoring or medication.
The session ended with renewed attention to everyday prevention. Dr. Benji encouraged attendees not to be overwhelmed by the number of recommendations, but to begin with one realistic step. Her closing message was simple: health is not created in a single day, but through thousands of small decisions.
Following the presentations, MC Ren Lexander brought everyone up to date on upcoming Club events followed by the Open Forum portion of the meeting where questions are asked and comments made about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya. To learn more about the PCEC, visit their website at https:/pcec.club. A video of the presentation will be uploaded to the PCEC’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@pcecclub6255/videos.
