MINSK, 10 April (BelTA) – Cardiovascular disease accounted for 60% of deaths in Belarus in January-March 2020, BelTA learned from head of the main department for public health,medical evaluation and appeals at the Healthcare Ministry Aleksandr Patseyev.
Despite a steady decrease in the number of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease, this class of disease remains the leading cause of death. In January-March cardiovascular disease ranked No. 1 among all causes of death in Belarus, killing 18,417 people (or nearly 60%) out of 31,039. In January-March 2019, there were 18,977 deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease.
According to Aleksandr Patseyev, cardiovascular risk factors remain alarmingly high in Belarus. They include tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise, unbalanced nutrition, psychological and social factors, hypertension, which is a separate disease and simultaneously a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Diabetes is another risk factor. Diabetes contributes to vessel damage and atherosclerosis; this way diabetes can also lead to death.
The number of cardiovascular diseases in Belarus keeps growing as the life expectancy is increasing, which is a global trend.
According to WHO modeling, it is possible to prevent three quarters of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease, in particular, heart attacks, by addressing risk factors.
In order to prevent deaths associated with cardiovascular disease, the Cardiology National Research Center teamed up with educational institutions to launch awareness raising campaigns; it also publishes books and leaflets for patients. Patients who survived a heart attack can take advantage of advanced treatment solutions available in Belarus. In 2019, 53 heart transplant surgeries were conducted.
Cancer is another leading cause of death. In January-March 2020 Belarus saw an increase in the number of cancer deaths year-on-year, 4,877 vs. 4,791 in Q1 2019. About 50% people die because of late diagnosis.
Other major causes of death in January-March 2020 were digestive diseases (1,003), diseases of the nervous system and sense organs (1,700), urogenital system diseases (185), respiratory diseases (577), including pneumonias (254), some infectious and parasitic diseases (146). In particular, the number of deaths caused by pneumonia has dropped: in Q1 2019 pneumonia claimed 277 lives.
