Heart disease on the rise as Vietnam pays price of development

News Desk

Viet Nam News

Publication Date : 13-10-2014

Vietnam has seen an alarming increase in cases of hypertension and heart disease following its rapid socio-economic development in recent decades.

At the opening ceremony of the 14th National Congress of Cardiology yesterday, Pham Gia Khai, president of the Viet Nam National Heart Association (VNHA), noted that about 25 per cent of the Vietnamese population aged more than 25 years suffered from hypertension and heart disease.

Khai also said the number of people suffering from cardiopathy and hypertension sharply increased from 11.5 per cent of the population in 1992 to 24.1 per cent in 2008, but the figure kept rising while the number of cardiology hospitals and heart surgeons had yet to match patients' demand.

"In spite of rapid development and achievements in cardiological surgery since the 1960s, Vietnam has been witness to an overload of cardiovascular patients at hospitals," he added.

About 2,000 people, including 100 experts and cardiological surgeons, are taking part in the biennial event.

The experts and surgeons come from countries including the United States, France, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

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Heart disease on the rise as Vietnam pays price of development