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MANILA, Philippines — Heart disease is still the leading cause of death among Filipinos during the first half of 2023, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed on Friday.
A PSA report shows ischemic heart disease topped the causes of deaths in the country from January to July in 2023.
Over 65,000 cases of this type of ailment were recorded during the six-month period.
It represented 19 percent of all recorded deaths during that timeframe.
According to National Nutrition Council, ischemic heart disease develops when the arteries of the heart fail to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart due to a buildup of plaque in the lining of the arteries.
Unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, age, and genetics can lead to risk factors.
These factors include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and obesity, which then contribute to the development of the disease.
The cardiovascular disease is followed by neoplasms, or the abnormal growth of tissue that may lead to cancer.
The cases for neoplasms reached more than 35,000, equivalent to 10 percent of total deaths.
Cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, carotid stenosis, vertebral stenosis, intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations, came in third.
PSA recorded 35,076 of such cases, contributing to 10 percent of deaths in the Philippines.
Diabetes milletus was fourth with over 21,000 cases or 6.3 percent of all deaths during the first 6 months of last year.
Ischemic heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the Philippines for many years now.
Looking back, from January to December 2022, deaths due to the ailment reached more than 123,000 or 18 percent of the total deaths among Filipinos.
Meanwhile, in 2021, ischemic heart disease led to the deaths of over 155,000 Filipinos or 17 percent of all registered deaths.
PSA’s data was released a few days ahead of the New Year celebrations when many people engage in binge eating and indulgences that are harmful to health.