Heart diseases still leading cause of death in PH —PSA

Ischaemic heart diseases remained to be the number one cause of mortality in the Philippines from January to November 2022, recent data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

According to the PSA, ischaemic heart diseases accounted for 103,628 deaths or 18.4% of the total deaths in the country during the covered period.

The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) earlier explained that ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease happens when there is lack of oxygen flow to the heart. This is caused by the narrowing of the coronary artery from cholesterol buildup that makes it difficult for the blood to flow, particularly oxygen.

Next on the list of major causes of death in the Philippines were cerebrovascular diseases (57,411 deaths) and neoplasms (57,354 deaths), respectively. They both recorded a 10.2% share in the total deaths from January to November 2022.

During the same period in 2021, the top three leading causes of death were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and the COVID-19.

COVID-19

PSA said there was a -85.6% decline of the deaths due to COVID-19 from January to November 2022, after recording 16,080 deaths — a big drop from the 111,599 deaths registered in the same period in 2021.

With this, the rank of death due to COVID-19 with virus fell to the 11th place, accounting for 11,377 cases or 2% of the total deaths.

Meanwhile, registered deaths due to COVID-19 with virus not identified accounted for 4,703 or 0.8% of the total deaths— down from 8th place in 2021 to 22nd as the leading cause of death in the country in 2022.

The National Capital Region (NCR) logged the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 with 3,916 or 24.4% of the total COVID-19 deaths from January to November 2022.

It was followed by Calabarzon with 2,667 deaths (16.6%), Central Luzon with 2,221 deaths (13.8%), and Western Visayas with 1,112 deaths (6.9%).

The Bangsamoro region, on the other hand, posted the least number of registered COVID-19 deaths with only 40 cases (0.2%).

Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday that COVID-19 deaths have been on a “downward” trend, with only “one case of death due to COVID-19” recorded in March 2023. —Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA Integrated News