Ischemic heart disease leads Aklan deaths in 2024

KALIBO, Aklan – Ischemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death in Aklan in 2024, accounting for 573 deaths or 12.88% of all recorded fatalities in the province, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The figures were released by the PSA Aklan Provincial Statistical Office on Oct. 31, 2026, based on the latest Vital Statistics Report.

Of the 573 deaths attributed to ischemic heart disease, 338 involved males, representing approximately 59%, while 235 involved females, or 41%.

Ischemic heart disease occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced, usually because of narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, potentially leading to a heart attack.

Neoplasms, which include cancerous and noncancerous tumors, ranked second among the leading causes of death in Aklan, with 465 fatalities or 10.45% of the provincial total.

Hypertensive diseases followed with 436 deaths, accounting for 9.80%, while pneumonia ranked fourth with 434 deaths or 9.76%.

Cerebrovascular diseases, which include strokes, were the fifth-leading cause, resulting in 316 deaths or 7.10%.

Diabetes mellitus accounted for 283 deaths or 6.36%, followed by chronic lower respiratory diseases with 270 deaths or 6.07%.

Other heart diseases caused 195 deaths or 4.38%, while respiratory tuberculosis accounted for 141 deaths or 3.17%.

The remaining diseases of the genitourinary system completed the province’s 10 leading causes of death, with 104 fatalities or 2.34%.

Gender differences in leading causes of death

The PSA also identified differences in the distribution of deaths between males and females across the province’s leading causes of mortality.

Among the 10 leading causes, respiratory tuberculosis recorded the highest proportion of male deaths, with 110 of its 141 fatalities involving men.

This represented approximately 78% of deaths attributed to respiratory tuberculosis.

Among females, neoplasms recorded the highest female share, accounting for 253 of the 465 deaths in that category, or approximately 54%.

The figures highlight differences in the distribution of deaths by sex across major disease categories.

Respiratory diseases record sharpest increase

Although ischemic heart disease remained Aklan’s leading cause of death, several other diseases recorded increases in fatalities compared with 2023.

Chronic lower respiratory diseases posted the largest percentage increase among the 10 leading causes, rising by 22.7% from 220 deaths in 2023 to 270 in 2024.

Deaths attributed to diabetes mellitus increased by 11%, from 255 to 283 during the same period.

Respiratory tuberculosis deaths also climbed by 7.6%, from 131 in 2023 to 141 in 2024.

In contrast, fatalities caused by ischemic heart disease declined by 3.2%, from 592 in 2023 to 573 in 2024.

Despite the decline, ischemic heart disease continued to account for the largest share of recorded deaths in the province.

The latest figures provide a statistical picture of Aklan’s major causes of mortality and the changes recorded between 2023 and 2024.

The PSA said the provincial death statistics were compiled from death certificates submitted monthly by local civil registry offices across Aklan.