09/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - 1 in 5 deaths in Europe caused by a heart attack. The Latvian Commissioner for Health now has something to worry about: his country suffers the highest number of deaths caused by heart attacks in the EU. This was revealed by a new Eurostat study published on Wednesday 4 May. The study shows that in the European Union (EU) in 2013, heart attacks (around 644 000 deaths) and strokes (almost 433 000 deaths) were the cause of death for almost 1.1 million persons, accounting for slightly more than 1 in 5 deaths (21.6%). France is the country with the lowest rate of deaths from heart attacks, with Lithuania having the highest rate (36.7%). The study also confirms that the risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack increases with age. (SPj)