Covid-19 Heart Health Resources | National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS)

Learn heart health advice and resources to cope with Covid-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019), especially for patients with pre-existing heart conditions.

Covid-19 Vaccination: For Patients With Heart Conditions

There are currently no known heart conditions that prevent patients from receiving the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine, with the exceptions of patients on immunosuppressive therapy (medication to suppress your immune system, like prednisolone, cyclosporine). If you are on these medications, please consult your doctor.

If you are on strong blood thinners (eg. Warfarin, and INR is not high/rivaroxaban/apixaban/dabigatran), you can still take the vaccine. Please inform your vaccinator on this, so that they can compress on the injection site for a longer duration, to reduce risk of hematoma (bruising and swelling from bleeding at the injection site).

For individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions, with swelling of the face/lips or around the eyes, it may be best to defer vaccination. If in doubt, please speak to your doctor.

For more information, please go to www.vaccine.gov.sg.

Heart Care Series for Covid-19 Period

Taking Care of Your Emotional Wellness

By Dr Lee Phong Teck, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore

Exercise

Regular exercise helps to lower body weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also reduces anxiety, depression and improves your self-esteem.

Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Check with your doctor on the exercises appropriate for you such as brisk walking, cycling and rope jumping.

Diet

Eat a balanced diet with good quality foods e.g. vegetables, whole grains, legumes and fruits. Avoid foods that cause reactive symptoms as they can affect your moods.

Try to break bad food habits especially psychoactive foods such as caffeinated beverages, sugar and chocolate. A diet low in sugar can also help stabilise mood.

Maintain personal relationships

Develop close personal relationships with someone (e.g. parents, spouse, siblings or friends) whom you can count on for support.

Get connected with your loved ones and friends via calls, text messaging and video calls. Catch up on each other’s daily activities and encourage one another to stay healthy.

Tips for Patients Coming for Your Appointment

By Asst Prof Jeffrey Lau, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore

First Visit to NHCS (new patients)

Please bring along your medical reports if you have previously done any cardiac investigations such as stress test, echocardiogram, CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans etc., in other clinic/ hospital. This will allow your doctor to review the results and tailor further cardiac investigations, if necessary.
If you are taking any medication prescribed by other clinics/hospitals, please bring along the medication, or write down the medication names and dosages to show our doctors.

Follow-Up Visits (existing patients)

Please share with your doctor if you have concerns about your regular medicines.
TeleHealth services (consultation via phone and video) are available for patients with stable conditions. Find out more from your doctor.

Cardiac Investigations (existing patients)

Check your investigation order form(s) to see if fasting or withholding certain medication is required before your tests.

Exercise Tips for Covid-19 Period

By Assoc Prof Tan Swee Yaw, Senior Consultant, Director of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation & Preventive Cardiology,

Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore

Use a mask

Use a mask when not doing strenuous exercise. Should you choose to go out and jog or have a brisk walk, bring along a mask with you. Remember to put the mask on when the strenuous portion of your exercise is complete.

Keep a distance

Keep a distance from others during exercise. Exercise should not be a social event. Recent research revealed that runners and cyclists could potentially spread infective particles to other individuals 10 to 20 metres away if affected individuals are in the exercising person's ‘slipstream’.

Practise good personal hygiene

When gyms and communal exercise facilities are fully open, it is imperative that all equipment, especially those with high touch areas are to be disinfected after each use. Virus can potentially stay viable on surfaces for a few days. Bring your own hydration supplies, avoid communal water coolers and water fountains.

Keeping Healthy During Covid-19 Period

By Dr Khoo Chun Yuan, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore

Get sufficient rest and quality sleep

Get sufficient rest to recharge. This is important especially for those managing the boundaries of working from home. Having at least 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep aids in good heart health. Before bedtime, avoid caffeinated drinks or excessive usage of electronic devices to wind down and fall asleep faster.

Be kind and support to one another

Spend valuable time with your loved ones at home and support one another. During such challenging times, stay kind to one another.

Besides helping someone in need, studies have shown that acts of kindness release a hormone that may improve our mood and mental health.

Seek medical attention if unwell

Seeking medical attention early enables early treatment and supportive measures to be introduced, if necessary.

This will also reduce the duration of the disease and any further complications in the condition.

The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your doctor or healthcare professional for detailed medical advice.