More than half of Ukrainians suffer from heart diseases, say cardiologists

Kyiv, September 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Nearly 25 million people in Ukraine suffer from cardiovascular diseases, member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Director of the Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology Professor Volodymyr Kovalenko has said.

"About 25 million patients who suffer from cardiovascular diseases have been registered in our country, according to the state statistic records. Of them, about 12 million patients suffer from hypertension," he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

Kovalenko also noted that the mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases in Ukraine (66.6%) is among the highest in the world. Speaking about the current problems in cardiology, he named the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, improvements in their diagnosis, and specialized treatment for patients at the various stages of the disease.

According to the director of the Institute of Cardiology, some 80% of elderly people suffer from cardiovascular diseases. He stressed that many younger patients have heart problems, in particular heart rhythm disturbance.

Meanwhile, head of the department of symptomatic arterial hypertension of the Institute of Cardiology Yuriy Sirenko suggested that the number of patients with heart diseases hadn't grown, but that doctors had simply learned to identify them better.