By Fazleena Aziz
Ischemic heart disease or coronary heart disease remains the main cause of death among Malaysians at 15 per cent of the 109,164 medically certified deaths in 2019.
This was also the principal cause of death for men in the country in both urban and rural areas, according to the Department of Statistics.
Selangor recorded the highest number of deaths with 2,909 cases in this category followed by Johor with 2,384 while Perak had 2,156 and Penang 1,214, the department revealed.
Its chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Uzir Mahidin said Pneumonia was the second cause of death with 12.2 percent followed by cerebrovascular disease or stroke with 8 percent.
“Other causes of deaths for men also include accidents (3.8 per cent) and lung cancer (2.4 per cent),” he added.
Among women however, pneumonia was the main cause of death with 13.2 per cent followed by heart disease (11.4 per cent) and cerebrovascular disease.
Dr Uzir also said that breast cancer (4.3 per cent) and diabetes (2.4 per cent) were also noted cause of deaths among women.
“Death among pregnant women was mainly due to postpartum haemorrhage with 17.5 per cent followed by obstetric embolism (12.6 per cent), eclampsia (9.7per cent) and both ectopic pregnancy and puerperal sepsis recording 5.8 per cent of deaths respectively,” he said.
In terms of racial breakdown heart disease dominates among all three races; Bumiputeras (14.5 per cent), Chinese (14 percent) and Indians (20.4 percent), Uzir said.
“Cerebrovascular disease is also seen among all three races both in urban and rural areas.
“Liver disease is also a principal cause of death among Indians with 2.7 per cent while rectal cancer is noted among the Chinese at 2.8 percent,” he said.
As far as infants are concerned conditions originating in the perinatal period is the main cause of deaths at a staggering 42 per cent followed by congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities at 31.1 per cent.
Pneumonia recorded 2 per cent rate while both Meningitis and chronic lower respiratory disease recorded 0.6 per cent.
Authored by a DailyStraits.com Writer. Send News Tips to: editor@dailystraits.com