Official figures released yesterday indicate that cardiovascular diseases still top the list of causes of death in Turkey, although only a slight rise was detected in figures The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) released a report on the causes of deaths for 2014, which lists diseases and injuries the population are likely to die of.Cardiovascular diseases or diseases of the circulatory system once again ranked highest on the list at 40.4 percent, showing a slight increase from 2013 figures. Ischemic heart diseases were among the leading causes of death in circulatory system diseases, followed by cerebrovascular diseases. The disease, colloquially known as narrowing of the arteries, was among the most common causes of death in the world in 2013, claiming the lives of 8.1 million people and usually tied to unhealthy nutrition. TÜİK says 151,696 people died of cardiovascular diseases in 2014.They are followed by malign and benign tumors or cancer at 20.7 percent, respiratory diseases, endocrine diseases, diseases related to nourishment, physical wounds, poisonings and neurological diseases.Figures show that cardiovascular diseases are mostly seen in the age group 75 to 84 and tumors in the age group 65 to 74. According to some experts, the increase in the rate of cardiovascular diseases is tied to the country's rapidly aging population and a rise in cases of diabetes. Speaking to the İhlas News Agency, Professor Levent Oğuzkurt said cardiovascular diseases will be more prevalent in the near future due to an increase in life expectancy and diabetes. "Thus, cardiovascular diseases more common among the elderly population will be more widespread," he said.Dr. Halit Yerebakan, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon, said that the slight rise should not raise concern, although there is a need on the part of the public to decrease it further. Yerebakan said the rate of cardiovascular diseases in developing countries is far higher and that Turkey has several advantages compared to other countries, especially in terms of agriculture and therefore, nutrition. "We still have a large rural population and access to natural foods, foods not stained with chemicals. The Turkish population has a healthier diet compared to developed countries," he said. He noted that life expectancy in Turkey considerably increased over the past decade and health policies to prevent the rise in diseases linked to lifestyle showed progress. He said that the proportion of cardiovascular diseases cannot be fundamentally changed, but the life expectancy of individuals can be extended through adopting healthier lifestyles. "Studies conducted in the United States show people can self-determine how long and how healthy they will live through precautions to that extent. For instance, you should keep your blood pressure in check, cope with stress and watch your waistline to keep a healthy weight," he said. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Professor Murat Tuncer of Hacettepe University, warned that cancer rates are also of concern. "Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in Turkey, and cancer is second. Cancer is the main cause in many countries, but its gap with other causes of death is closing, compared to previous years. Turkey has a young population and cancer-caused death is lower in the country, except smoking-related cancers," he said.The latest data from the EU's statistical office highlights that circulatory diseases and cancer are also the main cause of death in EU countries, despite significant drops between 2000 and 2010.According to the U.N.'s World Cancer Report 2014 in February last year, new cancer cases worldwide are expected to rise from 14 million to 22 million per year within the next two decades, with annual cancer deaths rising from 8.2 million to 13 million.TÜİK also looked into cities with a high rate of deaths by cardiovascular diseases. Denizli in western Turkey tops the list, followed by Kırklareli in the northwest. Diseases of benign and malignant tumors are detected mostly in Edirne, another northwestern province, followed by Kocaeli and its western neighbor Istanbul.