Ischaemic heart disease, which occurs when the arteries do not get enough oxygen, was the top cause of death in the country last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Monday.

From January to December 2022, deaths due to this disease reached 119,966 cases or 18.3 percent of the total fatalities.

Neoplasms or abnormal growth of tissue that may be cancerous, came in second with 66,606, which accounted for 10.2 percent.

Cerebrovascular diseases, which is a condition that affects blood flow in the brain, came in third with 66,466.

Diabetes ranked fourth at 41,288.

This was followed by hypertensive diseases with 37,490 cases.

The top three leading causes of death in 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and COVID-19.

COVID-19 accounted for 7,550 deaths or 2.7 percent of the total registered deaths last year.

This was lower by -84.4 percent than the 112,772 registered number of deaths in 2021.

Among the regions, National Capital Region (NCR) had the most number of registered deaths due to COVID-19 with 4,354 or 24.8 percent.

This was followed by Calabarzon with 2,854 deaths or 16.3 percent, Central Luzon with 2,345 deaths or 13.4 percent, and Western Visayas with 1,243 deaths or 7.1 percent.

In NCR, Quezon City had the highest number of COVID-19 deaths with 897 deaths or 20.6 percent.

Manila was second with 648 or 14.9 percent and Pasig was third with 455 or 10.5 percent.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the least number of deaths with only 65 cases or 0.4 percent. Jaspearl Tan/DMS