Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Over 60% of mortality in Bulgaria due to cardiovascular diseases

Photo: ВТА
Bulgaria was a host of the Seventh International Congress on Cardiovascular Diseases. An event of such high rank was held for the first time in this country. Nearly 70 foreign lecturers from Europe, Canada, Israel, India and Japan took part at the event. Together with their Bulgarian colleagues, they discussed the link between atherosclerosis, hypertension and coronary artery disease and the possibilities for early non-invasive diagnostics, treatment and prevention. Each year cardiovascular diseases cause 1/3 of all deaths worldwide (over 17 million deaths per year caused by this type of disease). If the increase continues, in 2030 over 23 million people will die from heart diseases on an annual basis. In Europe the cardiovascular illnesses cause 47% of all deaths (52% of all female mortalities and 42% of the male ones) Stroke and coronary artery disease are the main reason for these mortalities. In Bulgaria this percentage is even higher-over 60% of all deaths are due to the cardiovascular diseases. The National Heart Hospital alarms that heart attack affects more and more young people in Bulgaria. Many people aged between 30 and 40 suffer from this disease.

© Photo: BGNES

“The Bulgarian Society of Cardiology pays special attention over the recent years to the prevention of the cardiovascular diseases. This is why the last World Heart Day went under the motto of prevention and reduction of all risky factors, says the Chairman of the Bulgarian Society of Cardiology Associate Professor Ivo Petrov. “Some of the main risky factors for development of cardiovascular diseases are linked with diabetes and the irregular nutrition, so I would say that this problem is extremely topical. These are two of the major factors which cause the development of atherosclerosis which is widely spread in Bulgaria. Prevention of atherosclerosis is very important, because it causes myocardial infarction and brain stroke which are in fact the main reasons for the mortalities in Bulgaria. This is why the problem is so topical here. We have several big examples which show that prevention is extremely reasonable from a social and medical point of view. When it becomes an object of national policy, the mortality drops down by 20% which is of great importance to us. No other therapy, apart from prevention, can cause such a massive reduction of the cardiovascular diseases and the mortality. Unfortunately, Bulgaria is among the EU countries with highest number of these diseases and we are facing the challenge to cut this bad trend. I hope that the positive changes marked over the recent years will continue.”

In 2008 Bulgaria officially signed the European Heart Health Charter. Thus, this country joined the campaign aimed at reducing the cardiovascular illnesses in the modern European society. Representatives of the European Health Ministries, national heart societies and foundations are engaged in the implementation of all measures linked with prevention and treatment of the diseases mentioned in the charter. In Bulgaria representatives of state and non-governmental organizations are working to implement these measures. All who signed the European Heart Health Charter are obliged to encourage and support all measures aimed at changing the lifestyle of the citizens and at reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Many of the heart attacks could be prevented, which means that they are due to the unhealthy lifestyle: smoking, bad diet rich in fats and salt and sedentary life. According to data of the Bulgarian Hypertension League, there are some 2 million people in this country suffering from high blood pressure. Only half of these people though tend to treat this illness and control the levels of their cholesterol. We need to constantly remind people to control their body weight and blood pressure and to promote the healthy lifestyle, because the whole Bulgarian society pays for the negligence towards these socially-important diseases”, concludes Associate Professor Ivo Petrov.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov
По публикацията работи: Diana Hristakieva


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Residents of village of Zmeyovo celebrate pelin wine whose recipe they jealously guard

The village of Zmeyovo near the town of Stara Zagora is celebrating today, December 21, its traditional Festival of Pelin Wine. According to an old Bulgarian custom, guests will be welcomed with bread and salt on the square in front of the..

published on 12/21/24 9:25 AM

Christmas tales made of glass, or how a forgotten tradition is revived

Each piece evokes warmth and nostalgia because each is handmade and unique. The silvery reflections on the glass baubles take us back to childhood, when winters were harsh and snow-white and Christmas decorations were made of wafer-thin glass . Nowadays,..

published on 12/21/24 8:10 AM

"BG Ben" – the publication of Bulgarians in the UK celebrates 20 years

On March 30, 2004, the first issue of a Bulgarian newspaper in Great Britain, "BG Ben", was published. The beginning was modest – eight pages in A4 format and a big dream – to become a unifier of Bulgarians on the Island. Today, 20 years later, the..

published on 12/20/24 8:44 AM