Dr. Professor Augusto D. Litonjua
Currently, Dr. Professor Augusto D. Litonjua is a certified member of the Philippine Board of Endocrinology, and a member of the world's largest internal medicine society.
He is also the director of the Philippine National Center for Biotechnology Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Reporter: Professor Litonjua, please explain the causes and dangers of diabetes, blood fat, and cardiovascular disease?
Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua: Modern life with unhealthy eating habits makes us susceptible to diseases such as diabetes, blood lipid disorders, and cardiovascular diseases after the age of 35. These are dangerous diseases that can easily lead to stroke if not controlled in time. These illnesses also interact with each other, significantly increasing the risk of stroke.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes, blood lipid disorders, and cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with about 8.5 million people dying each year; this means that on average, there is one death every 4 seconds due to a stroke caused by one of these three diseases. Currently, in the Philippines, the number of people suffering from diabetes, blood lipid disorders, and cardiovascular diseases accounts for 45%, with the death rate being 20% among them.