Ischaemic heart disease remains Malaysia’s leading cause of death

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading cause of death in Malaysia, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. In 2024, IHD accounted for 17,421 deaths, with lung-related diseases, stroke, and cancer also ranking among the top causes of mortality.

Addressing the Dewan Rakyat, the minister described the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a pandemic that poses a significant threat to public health. He noted that NCDs are increasingly affecting younger populations and often remain undetected because they show no symptoms until they become severe. Key risk factors identified include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Data from the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) highlights the scale of the issue among youths. For those aged 18 to 29, an estimated 192,464 people have diabetes and 339,853 have hypertension, though over 80% of these cases remain undiagnosed. Among those aged 30 to 39, diabetes affects approximately 378,508 people, while 938,865 suffer from hypertension.

To combat this, the ministry has been implementing the National Health Screening Initiative since 2022. So far, over 2.6 million individuals under the age of 40 have been screened, resulting in the detection of 339,854 cases of high blood pressure and 176,415 cases of high blood glucose.