Death rates from heart disease have declined in Ireland but the number of people living with chronic heart disease has increased, according to a report published yesterday.
The decline in deaths has been "particularly striking" in the under-65 age group, the report from the national Heart Health Task Force, which is charged with implementing the 1999 Cardiovascular Health Strategy, said.
It noted deaths from coronary heart disease in men decreased by 34 per cent between the early 1980s and late 1990s. The decrease among women over the same period was 30 per cent.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said however that the death rate from coronary heart disease in Ireland was still almost twice the EU average.
"It may be shocking but it's the reality. Thousands of Irish people and families live with heart disease every day."
He said he was committed to tackling the issue and his priority next year would be to find funding to appoint 25 additional consultant cardiologists.
He said £41.18 million (€52.3 million) had been committed by the Government to implementing the cardiovascular health strategy and the improvement of cardiac services over the past two years.
"Significant achievements have been recorded . . . we're getting there. It'll take time," he said.
He said achievements included the new Tobacco Bill which raised the age limit at which tobacco products, a major cause of heart disease, can legally be sold to young persons from 16 to 18 years.
Mr Martin said the priority for next year would be to appoint 25 additional consultant cardiologists.
"Securing additional funding for this development is a priority for me," he said.
Mr Martin said the detection of people at risk of heart disease at the stage when they visit their GP was a cornerstone of the success of the strategy. He said he was committed to ensuring a national programme for the management, at the GP visit stage, of patients with heart disease was introduced next year.
"Discussions between health boards, the Irish College of General Practitioners, the Irish Medical Organisation and my Department are ongoing to finalise an agreed programme.
"I recognise the need for additional capital investment to sustain the implementation of the strategy and am committed to doing everything within my resources to secure appropriate capital and revenue funding for 2002," he added.
He said it had long been recognised that there was inadequate data available on the numbers of patients with specific cardiac conditions.
A national steering committee had been set up to oversee such a database and met for the first time yesterday, he confirmed.