Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of deaths (81%) in the country and presently, a longitudinal survey titled ‘Persian Study’ is underway to study NCDs, said Dr Reza Malekzadeh, deputy of technology and research at the Health Ministry. “The survey will study 200,000 people from different ethnic backgrounds in 18 provinces in the country over a 30-year period,” IRNA quoted him as saying. A similar survey is underway in the US that covers one million people, he added. A non-communicable disease is a medical condition or disease that is non-infectious or non-transmissible, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.
