BEIJING - About 230 million people in China suffer from cardiovascular disease, and about six people die from it per minute in the country, according to a report released at the 7th China Heart Congress on Friday.

The report, delivered by the Ministry of Health's National Center for Cardiovascular Disease at the four-day congress, indicates that nearly three million people died of cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, cerebral apoplexy, heart failure and hypertension, in China each year.

The report listed insufficient physical exercise, unhealthy eating habits, such as excessive salt and fat intake, and smoking as causes of cardiovascular disease, and the number of people suffering from it is increasing each year, it said.

The death rate of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction in rural areas exceeds that in small- and medium-sized cities, according to the report.