MOSCOW, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes could cause the Russian economy damage of up to $300 billion by 2015, Russia's chief cardiac surgeon said Monday, citing WHO figures.

A possible demographic crisis was highlighted in his state of the nation address May 10 by President Vladimir Putin, who said the decline in Russia's population - which he said was falling by 700,000 people a year - is the country's biggest problem and outlined measures to tackle the problem.

Leo Bokeria said: "According to the World Health Organization, by 2015 Russia could lose $300 bln from premature deaths caused by strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes."

He said heart diseases accounted for 56.7% of total deaths, with about 30% of them hitting people still of working age, an added that mortality among Russian men had rocketed 60% since 1991, four to five times higher than in Europe.

Bokeria said that average life expectancy in Russia was about 65 years, but only about 57 for men.

He said he thought 80% of deaths could be prevented by an effective public health system, provided at least 6-7% of GDP was spent on healthcare.