Nearly two thirds of deaths in Bulgaria result from cardio-vascular diseases, Yuliya Djorgova, head of the cardiology clinics at the university hospital of St Ekaterina said.

According to the statistics, the death rate caused by cardio-vascular diseases was decreasing in western Europe, while in Bulgaria and eastern Europe it increased.

Worldwide nearly 17 million people die of cardio-vascular diseases every year. Some 80 per cent of these people came from economically poorly developed countries, including Bulgaria, Djorgova said as quoted by Focus news agency.

“This is a very serious problem,” she said.

Preventive medical examinations were extremely important, according to Djorgova. The more advanced the disease was, the longer, harder and more expensive the treatment was.