Further, much of the data collected is reflective only of the urban majority and does not account for the conditions of rural Turkey. …show more content…
Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, especially among wealthier or more developed countries. Between 1990 and 2013 in Turkey, it has replaced communicable diseases such as lower respiratory infections and neonatal preterm births as the leading cause of premature death; approximately 16% of all deaths in the country in 2014 were caused by ischemic heart …show more content…
Hans Rosling, this sort of transition is illustrative of a country’s transformation from under or semi-developed to developed as it indicates the population is living long enough to die of geriatric conditions instead of the communicable disease of poverty that tend to affect younger demographics. Further, the disease is often a product of diet as well as age, as it is caused by long-term plaque buildup in coronary arteries. Poor diet and lack of exercise are important risk factors for developing the disease, and the prevalence of ischemic heart disease suggests that these conditions of development, high calorie diet and excessive leisure, must exist at a relatively large scale. Thus, while ischemic heart disease is inarguably the most prevalent health condition facing the country, the high incidence of this disease may been seen as an indicator of a trend of improving health outcomes in Turkey due to an increasing standard of living as the country becomes more developed and westernized and is thus able to improve its medical