MORE people die from chronic diseases in Turkey than any other country in the world, research suggests.
Combined death rates from cancer, stroke and diseases of the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys are at a global high in the transcontinental nation.
The country received an overall mortality score of 8.34 out of 10, with 138.22 cancer deaths per 100,000 people.
Its fatality rates for stroke (49.06) and lung disease (28.02) were also high.
Hungary came in second place, with a mortality score of 8.29.
The landlocked nation in Central Europe has the highest cancer and lung disease mortality rates in the index, with 162.44 and 30.26 deaths per 100,000 respectively.
And with a score of 7.57 and 157.25 cancer deaths, Slovakia took bronze.
Mexico (7.39) and Poland (7.25) rounded out the top five, followed by Latvia (7.21), the Czech Republic (7.21), Lithuania (6.76), the United States (6.62), and Greece (5.90).
The UK (4.37) was 25th on the list, while Australia (2.57) placed 37th.
Switzerland received the lowest overall score of 2.03, closely tailed by Israel (2.70), Spain (2.75), France (2.79), Iceland (3.06), and Norway (3.06).
Overall, cancer was the most common cause of death worldwide, with an average of 114 fatalities per 100,000 people.
The analysis, carried out by experts at life insurance firm William Russell, was based on World Health Organization data from 38 mostly high-income countries.
Researchers looked at death rates from six common noncommunicable diseases (conditions not passed from person to person) – cancer, stroke, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease and kidney disease.
They converted each figure into a number out of 100,000 to make comparisons between nations, then assigned each one a mortality score out of 10.
Hungary had the highest cancer mortality rate (162.44) and more lung disease deaths (30.26) than any other country.
Residents in Latvia suffer more fatal strokes (99.14) than any other nation, while Mexico scores worst when it comes to liver disease (24.62) and kidney disease (36.72) deaths.
Lithuania topped the list for heart disease mortality (174.70).
A spokesperson for William Russell said: “Noncommunicable diseases kill around 41million people a year across the globe, and more than 15 million of those deaths affect people below the age of 70, with the biggest culprits being cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
“However, people’s health and access to healthcare can vary drastically from location to location.
“With this in mind, we wanted to discover which countries have the highest mortality rates, looking at a range of conditions including cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung, liver, and kidney disease.”
They also highlighted that “prevention is often the best cure”, adding: “Some conditions can be avoided if you take the right steps toward improving your health.”
Some simple steps to decrease your chances of developing a serious medical condition include:
Getting the right vaccinations Taking any prescribed medications as directed Eating a balanced dietExercising Maintaining a healthy weight Giving up smoking Reducing your alcohol consumption Keeping your blood pressure under control Protecting yourself from the sunGetting regular check-ups