Almost four of every 10 deaths in Malta are caused by heart-related conditions, according to European Union data.

Issued in connection with World Heart Day, the Eurostat statistics show that 1,360 of the 3,516 deaths that occurred in Malta in 2015 were related to heart conditions. This translated to just over 38% of all deaths in both men and women.

Most of the deaths –763 – were the result of ischemic heart diseases that cause anginas and sudden cardiac arrests. While a common death with both sexes, the figure was only slightly higher for males, with 407 men dying of such a disease in the year under review.

Young people could also be affected

The majority of those who succumbed to heart-related conditions were aged over 65, the data shows. Five youths, aged 25 and under, also died of such conditions as did 68 people in their 50s.

Across the EU, heart attacks were reported as leading to the death of 12% of all those who passed away. Though the rates were higher for women than men in some member states, the situation was more or less the same in the case of Maltese men and women.

Heart specialist Robert Xuereb, from Mater Dei Hospital’s cardiac clinic, warned earlier this year that heart failure in Malta was on the rise and, yet, awareness on such conditions remained low.

The cardiologist had also pointed out that though more likely to impact the older population, young people could also be affected by heart diseases.