Following World Heart Day, Portuguese cardiology associations have recalled that cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Portugal, although at least 80 percent of premature deaths from these diseases are preventable.
The Portuguese Cardiology Foundation points out that many early deaths could be prevented by controlling the four main risk factors: Smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption.
More than half of the adult population is overweight, 40 percent have high blood pressure, 30 percent have very high cholesterol and a quarter of the population smokes, according to figures from the Portuguese Cardiology Society.
Nearly half a million Portuguese suffer from heart failure, a problem that the Society believes should become a national priority.