Cardiovascular diseases leading cause of deaths in CL

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Feb. 13, 2013–Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been the leading cause of deaths in Central Luzon since 2006 with an average of 9,000 cases annually, figures from the Health Department show.

“CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels which include diseases on coronary heart, cerebrovascular, peripheral arterial, rheumatic heart, congenital heart, and deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism,” Center for Health Development (CHD) 3 Nurse Coordinator Erlinda Maglanque explained.

Cancer was the second common cause of death in the region followed by pneumonia, cerebrovascular accident or stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

An unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and smoking are some causes for having CVDs.

“With this data, CHD 3 is starting to promote healthy lifestyle activities such as exercise and balanced diet more intensively,” Maglanque said.

CHD 3 has been doing healthy lifestyle activities across workplaces, communities and schools in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales in order to slowly change the unhealthy eating habits of Filipinos and not exercising. (Joelyn G. Baluyut)