TEHRAN – Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death among Iranians claiming 38% of the annual death rate, spokesman of the Iranian National Organization for Civil Registration has said.

Cancer with 11.5 percent, respiratory diseases with 9.4 percent, and fatal unintentional injuries with 6 percent are the three top causes of mortality in the country, proceeding cardiovascular disease, IRNA quoted Seifollah Aboutorabi as saying on Tuesday.
During first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22), a total of 182,389 people died in the country, 102,000 of whom were male and 79,209 were female, he further stated.

He went on to say that the most important cause of death in the country is cardiovascular diseases which account for 38.2 percent of annual deaths.

The total mortality rate is 4.7 per 1,000 population in the country, he concluded.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CVDs take the lives of 17.9 million people every year, 31% of all global deaths. Triggering these diseases, which manifest primarily as heart attacks and strokes, are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. These in turn show up in people as raised blood pressure, elevated blood glucose and overweight and obesity, risks detrimental to good heart health.

The good news, however, is that 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable.

WHO explained that tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day of the week will help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Additionally eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and limiting your salt intake to less than one teaspoon a day, also helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Check and control your overall cardiovascular risk. An important aspect of preventing heart attacks and strokes is by providing treatment and counselling to individuals at high risk (those with a 10 year cardiovascular risk equal to or above 30%) and reducing their cardiovascular risk. A health worker can estimate your cardiovascular risk using simple risk charts and provide the appropriate advice for managing your risk factors such as blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar.

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