PUTRAJAYA, Dec 18 — Ischaemic heart disease was once again the leading cause of death in Malaysia in 2024, responsible for 17,421 or 13 per cent (pct) of medically certified deaths, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported today.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin reported a total of 198,992 deaths in 2024, of which 133,844 (67.3 pct) were medically certified, while 65,148 (32.7 pct) were non-medically certified.

He noted that medically certified deaths rose to 67.3 pct (133,844) in 2024, up from 60.7 pct (119,652) the previous year.

“A total of 12,112 male deaths or 15.3 pct were caused by Ischaemic heart diseases, while pneumonia was the principal cause of deaths for females at 6,776 or 12.4 pct,” he said in a statement here today.

Mohd Uzir said ischaemic heart diseases remained the principal cause of death for Malays and Indians. Among Malays, they accounted for 10,291 deaths (13.9 pct); among Indians, 2,161 deaths (17.6 pct).

For the Chinese and other Bumiputera communities, however, pneumonia was the leading cause of death, at 4,231 (12.7 pct) and 1,016 (9.7 pct) fatalities, respectively.

He said pneumonia was the second leading cause of death overall, accounting for 15,332 fatalities (11.5 pct), followed by diabetes mellitus (6,929 deaths, 5.2 pct) and transport accidents (4,428 deaths, 3.3 pct).

Meanwhile, cancer-related deaths have risen sharply, from 5,231 in 2001 to 19,180 in 2024. The highest number was from cancers of the digestive organs (5,825 deaths), followed by respiratory and intrathoracic organs (2,987 deaths), and breast cancer (2,173 deaths).

“Ischaemic heart disease is mainly influenced by unhealthy lifestyle practices and diet. This was supported by a statement from the Ministry of Health that such diseases occur when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed.

“Major risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, diabetes and age. Other contributing factors are obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and family history,” he said.

He explained that pneumonia-related deaths were partly influenced by post-pandemic respiratory infections, particularly among individuals with weakened immune systems or pre-existing health conditions, while other non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and kidney failure, were also closely linked to unhealthy lifestyles and diet.

By age group, pneumonia was the leading cause of death for individuals aged 60 and over (11,989 deaths, 13.9 pct) and for children under 14 (244 deaths, 5.6 pct).

Among the 15 to 40 age group, transport accidents were the principal cause, accounting for 2,547 fatalities (20.0 pct), while in the 41 to 59 age group, ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause, with 5,380 deaths (17.6 pct).

Ischaemic heart disease was the main cause of death in 13 states, while pneumonia was the leading cause in Perak, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Selangor recorded the highest number of deaths due to Ischaemic heart diseases at 3,038 deaths, followed by Johor with 2,620 and Kedah with 2,349,” he added.

Mohd Uzir noted that globally, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the United States and Australia in 2023. In contrast, cancer was the principal cause in Japan, South Korea, Canada and Singapore, while the United Kingdom recorded dementia and Alzheimer’s as its top causes of mortality that year. — Bernama