Circulatory system diseases remain leading cause of death in Türkiye: TÜİK

ANKARA

Circulatory system diseases remained the leading cause of death in Türkiye last year, responsible for over one-third of all fatalities, according to the latest figures from the country’s official statistics office.

Cancer and respiratory diseases followed as the second and third most common causes of death, respectively, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said on June 19.

Within circulatory system diseases, ischemic heart disease made up the largest proportion, followed by other heart diseases, highlighting the significant burden of heart-related illnesses nationwide.

Ischemic heart disease refers to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, usually caused by narrowed or blocked coronary arteries.

It is estimated that between 800,000 and 1.2 million people in Türkiye are living with heart failure.

This burden is also reflected in the demand for heart transplants across the country. Currently, approximately 1,500 patients are on the national waiting list for a new heart.

While efforts to increase organ donation have seen progress through public awareness campaigns, consent rates still remain relatively low in the country.

The data from the office also shed light on the overall mortality rates: Last year, Türkiye saw a decrease in the total number of deaths compared to the previous year, with men accounting for slightly more than half of the fatalities.

The country’s crude death rate, the number of deaths per thousand persons, also declined marginally, indicating a modest improvement in overall mortality.