Stroke, heart attack, asthma cases reach 288 this holiday season —DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported that there are now 288 cases of stroke, heart attacks, and bronchial asthma in the country this holiday season.

Based on recent data gathered from December 21 up to 4 a.m. on December 31, DOH said that the case record of these non-communicable diseases is now 5% higher than the 274 cases recorded in the same period in 2024.

There are currently a total of 5 deaths, 3 of which were caused by stroke and 2 caused by acute coronary syndrome.

Patients aged 60 to 69 years old made up the majority of the cases for acute coronary syndrome with 28 out of 77 cases, and acute stroke with 53 out of 180 cases.

A total of 8 out of 31 cases of bronchial asthma affected patients aged 0 to 9 years old.

Data released by the agency was gathered from 10 different DOH pilot sites being monitored for acute complication of non-communicable diseases.

DOH reminded the public to observe the following to avoid contracting non-communicable diseases:

• Avoid excessive eating, smoking, drinking, and stress.
• Seek immediate help in case of loss of breath or chest pains.
• Maintain regular blood pressure and physical activity.
• Seek immediate help in case of numbness or weakness in any part of the body.
• Avoid asthma triggers such as dust or smoke.
• Ensure the environment remains clean and tidy.
• Always keep inhalers and medicine prepared in case of emergencies.

DOH is set to observe the number of firecracker-related incidents until January 5, 2026 as part of its holiday monitoring efforts. —KG, GMA Integrated News