MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti) - The number of deaths in Russia from heart disease has increased by 30% in the past 15 years, the head of the Moscow-based Cardiology Research Center said at a press conference Monday.

Yevgeni Chazov, a former health minister, said nearly 1.3 million Russians died of cardiovascular conditions in 2004, mostly due to depression. An estimated 41.6 million Russians suffer from high blood pressure, but only 8,000 of them have regular medical checkups, he said.

Chazov stressed the importance of first-line healthcare providers being given access to modern medical equipment, improving the quality of their services.