Bridgetown.
Heart disease is expected to cause three times more death and disability in the Caribbean than all infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS says president of the Heart and Stoke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB), Humphrey Metzgen.
According to Metzgen, a high percentages of Barbadians are living with various chornic non communicable diseases.
"It is estimated that of all Barbadians aged 20 years and older, 38,000 are living with high blood pressure, 90,000 are overweight, 19,000 are diabetic and one person suffers a stroke every day", Metzgen told the annual meeting HSFB recently.
"In the Caribbean chornic non communicable diseases are account for more than 50 percent of deaths and of these, 30 percent are due to heart disease. It is forcast that heart disease will cause three times more death and disability than all infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS , over the next 20 years in the region", he added.
Metzgen stated that it is also worrying that women are increasing ly becoming at risk to heart disease.
