Four in 10 deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases last year could have been prevented as they were the result of an unhealthy lifestyle, smoking and obesity.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne gave this worrying information while addressing a conference organised by the Maltese Cardiac Society yesterday.

Mr Fearne remarked that from about 1,000 deaths, 40 per cent could have been avoided if patients had monitored their blood pressure, controlled eating habits, did regular exercise and stopped smoking and drinking alcohol. In recent months, lifestyle clinics had been introduced in a number of health centres to give free advice to the public.

However, he said more work was needed to reach out to those who were not interested in attending such clinics.

Mr Fearne also noted significant progress in cardiology services at Mater Dei Hospital and in reducing waiting times for operations. Average waits for coronary angiograms dropped from six months to less than a week and, in the case of stress tests at the Gozo General Hospital, waiting times fell from four months to less than a week, he noted.

The conference, which closes today, includes workshops for cardiology trainees.

This year the event focuses on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.