ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) – Employers should allow their employees to go on an afternoon health break to allow them to move around and do brief exercises as a measure to promote their well-being.
This was one of the recommendations made by Department of Health medical officer Dr. Rolando Lilienthal Bucoy after he discussed the disturbing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority that shows that more than five thousand people in the Zamboanga Peninsula have died from cardiovascular diseases in 2020.
Appearing in the Kapihan sa PIA, Bucoy said cardiovascular-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death in the country, of which a total of 97,475 succumbed to Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) in 2020, representing 15.7 percent of the total registered deaths nationwide.
Zamboanga Peninsula, in particular, faced a significant burden of heart-related ailments, contributing to approximately 5,400 deaths in 2020. Among the areas within the region, Zamboanga City stood out with the highest number of recorded deaths attributed to heart diseases.
Bucoy said to maintain a healthy heart, he’s recommending that people follow a healthy diet, like opting for vegetables and fruits over processed meat, refraining from cigarette smoking, adopting a low-fat diet, and engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
