Cancer is commonly cited as the no.1 killer disease in Singapore due to how death statistics are presented by the Ministry of Health. However, a closer look at the statistics reveals that cardiovascular diseases together in fact caused more deaths than cancer. In 2020, 28.6% of deaths were due to cancer. Cardiovascular diseases on the other hand were responsible for about 32% of deaths. Looking at these statistics, we can indeed say that heart diseases in Singapore are very common indeed.
Death by Cardiovasular Diseases – Singapore Statistics
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
| Total No. of Deaths (All causes) | 22,054 | 21,446 | 21,282 |
| Ischaemic Heart Diseases | 20.5% | 18.8% | 18.1% |
| Cerebrovascular Diseases (including stroke) | 6.0% | 5.8% | 6.0% |
| Hypertensive Diseases (including hypertensive heart disease) | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| Other Heart Diseases | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.1% |
| Atherosclerosis | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Total % of Deaths from Cardiovascular Disease | 31.7% | 29.3% | 29.2% |
The above table (source: Ministry of Health) shows 2 trends with regards to cardiovascular diseases. Firstly, the percentage of all deaths due to Ischaemic heart diseases in Singapore has been on the rise from 2018 to 2020. Among the various types of cardiovascular diseases, Ischaemic heart diseases is the leading cause of death. Unsurprisingly, the overall percentage of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases had been on the rise from 2018 to 2020 as well. This is the 2nd trend observed.
What is Ischemic Heart Disease?
Ischemic heart disease refers to heart problems that are caused by narrowed heart arteries. This in turn causes less blood and oxygen to reach the heart muscle and can ultimately lead to a heart attack.
Ischemia often causes chest pain known as angina pectoris. However, people can also suffer from ischemia without pain. This is known as silent ischemia. Patients can thus have a heart attack with no prior warning. People with a history of heart attacks or have diabetes are more at risk for developing silent ischemia.
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This article is informative only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.