Report: 50 Malaysians Die Of Heart Attack Every Day

The latest Statistics on Causes of Death in Malaysia released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) revealed that ischaemic heart diseases, which happen when arteries of the heart cannot deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart, is the main cause of death in Malaysia.

In other words, heart attack has killed more Malaysians than any other diseases and traffic accidents.

The Star Online reported that the statistics for last year showed that there were a total of 18,267 deaths related to Ischaemic heart diseases, which accounts for 15.6 per cent of total deaths from various causes.

“On average, 50 people in Malaysia die of ischaemic heart diseases every day,” said DOSM.

The news portal, quoting facts from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the United States, also revealed that the most common type of ischaemic heart diseases is coronary heart disease, which is caused by the build-up of plaque inside the coronary arteries.

DOSM said the number of deaths due to ischaemic heart diseases in Malaysia has been increasing, with 13.2 per cent in 2016 and 13.9 per cent in 2017.

After ischaemic heart diseases, the second main cause of death last year was pneumonia (11.8 per cent), followed by cerebrovascular diseases (7.8 per cent), transport accidents (3.7 per cent) and chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.6 per cent).