Circulatory system diseases kill 162,000 in Turkey

By Gokhan Ergocun</p> <p>ISTANBUL (AA) – Circulatory system diseases are the cause behind some 38.4% of all deaths cases in Turkey last year, official statistics revealed on Friday.</p> <p>In Turkey, more than 421,000 people died in 2018, some nearly 162,000 of them was the victim of circulatory system diseases, the Turkish Statistical Institute said.</p> <p>Neoplasms and respiratory system diseases followed it with 19.7% and 12.5%, respectively, TurkStat noted.</p> <p>The institute said deaths due to circulatory system diseases in 2018 were based on ischemic heart diseases with 39.7% and cerebrovascular diseases with 22.4%.</p> <p>&quot;The number of death cases caused by malignant neoplasms in total was 81,129 in 2018. 30.8% of these deaths were caused by malignant neoplasms of larynx and trachea/bronchus/lung,&quot; it said. </p> <p>Last year, males consisted 54.3% (228,887) of all death cases in Turkey. </p> <p>&quot;As the causes of death statistics were examined by age groups, it was found that diseases of the circulatory system were seen mostly in the 75-84 age group with 51,376 people,&quot; TurkStat said.</p> <p>It added: &quot;Benign and malignant neoplasms were seen mostly in the 65-74 age group with 23,674 people in 2018.&quot;</p> <p>According to the institute, other common reasons for death cases were nervous system and the sense organs diseases (4.9%), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (4.8%), external causes of injury and poisoning (4.4%) in 2018.</p> <p>TurkStat releases causes of death statistics, which are essential data for evaluating public health, compiled and coded in accordance with World Health Organization rules, once a year, with the next report due in April, 2020.