Heart attacks remain top killer in Bangladesh despite slight fall

While there has been a slight decrease in the number of deaths from heart attacks compared to 2021, it remains the leading cause of mortality in Bangladesh, claiming 17.45% of lives in 2022, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Combined with heart disease (3.67%), cardiovascular issues account for a significant 21.12% of all deaths in the country.

In 2021, the heart attack death rate was 22.6% in Bangladesh, according to Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics data. Despite this decrease, health experts note an increasing number of patients due to lifestyle changes, eating habits, obesity, pollution, smoking, and lack of physical activity.

Prof Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of Department of Epidemiology and Research at National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, told The Business Standard, "Tobacco use, obesity, trans fat, high salt intake, and air pollution are contributing to the rise in heart disease and deaths."

Dr Amal Kumar Choudhury, former professor of Department of Cardiology at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases told TBS, "Although more people are being diagnosed with heart conditions, the death rate has slightly dropped thanks to better treatment options, free distribution of medicines for hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes at community clinics, and increased public awareness."

However, Dr Amal highlighted the importance of preventing heart disease, noting its increasing prevalence among younger individuals and even children. He stressed the significance of regular heart checkups, as heart attacks pose the highest risk of death.

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Regarding cardiac arrests, he said that 50% of patients die without being able to communicate, 25% perish after uttering a few words due to intense pain, and 25% manage to reach the hospital via ambulance.

He added that if someone experiences chest pain that worsens with mental stress or physical exertion, accompanied by sweating, vomiting, or shortness of breath, they should immediately seek medical attention.

Furthermore, Dr Amal mentioned that it is possible to predict the risk of a heart attack within five years through tests like echo and ETT (exercise tolerance test). If these tests indicate a high risk, overweight individuals should focus on weight loss, physical activity, and a healthy diet to prevent heart attacks.

Apart from cardiovascular issues, BBS data also mentioned other major causes of death including respiratory disease, brain stroke, asthma, liver cancer, pneumonia, high blood pressure, diabetes, blood cancer, kidney disease, road traffic accidents, and suicide.

According to BBS, more people in urban areas die from heart attacks compared to rural areas, with 24.09% in urban areas and 15.70% in rural areas succumbing to heart attacks.

Heart-related diseases are responsible for 24.84% of deaths in old age, with other leading causes being respiratory disease (12.26%), asthma (6.90%), and brain stroke (10.76%).

Heart attacks and heart disease contribute to 2.83% of deaths in children under five, with a higher rate in urban areas (3.50%) compared to rural areas (2.68%).

BBS statistics indicate an increase not only in heart disease but also in stroke, kidney, and liver diseases. This underscores the need for the government to prioritise prevention efforts for all non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease.

According to WHO data, NCDs account for about 67% of all deaths in Bangladesh, with cardiovascular diseases having the highest mortality rate at 30%.

A study in 2023 titled "NCDs in South-East Asia: journeying towards the SDG target" reveals that NCDs caused nearly two-thirds of all deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2021.

Among NCDs, cardiovascular diseases, followed by cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are the leading causes of mortality.

India has also experienced a significant increase in heart attack deaths over the past three years, possibly due to the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there was a staggering 12.5% rise in heart attack cases in 2022 alone.