215 victims of heart disease in Ballymoney and Moyle

Despite Moyle having the lowest number of people dying than anywhere else in Northern Ireland there were still 71 victims from 2006 to 2008 with 27 in 2006, 18 in 2007 and 26 in 2008.

Meanwhile Ballymoney also recorded a worrying 144 people who died from the condition with 51 in 2006, 41 in 2007 and 52 in 2008.

The news comes as recent figures reveal the overall number of deaths from coronary heart disease in Northern Ireland have dropped significantly.

However, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone to take steps to protect their heart as coronary heart disease is still the number one killer in the province.

Just over 2,300 people died from the disease last year compared to 2,410 in 2008 despite an increase in population – an overall reduction of 110 province-wide.

The latest figures show the positive downward trend is continuing into 2009 – in 2007 there were 2,493 deaths and 2,554 in 2006, while in 1979 there were nearly 5,000 deaths.

Coinciding with World Heart Day on Sunday 26 September, the PHA is calling for people to follow a number of simple steps in a bid to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

Smoking is a major risk factor and the more cigarettes you smoke the higher the risk, according to Dr Adrian Mairs, Consultant in Public Health with responsibility for cardiovascular disease in the Public Health Agency.

Simple lifestyle changes will also reduce the risk factor, including eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, avoiding saturated fat, limiting alcohol intake and taking at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

The PHA last week launched physical activity campaign It All Adds Up! in a bid to encourage local children to become more active and ensure they take part in the recommended daily 60 minutes of activity, seven days a week.