The number of deaths dropped by 4% in 2001 compared to the previous year.

The number of people being diagnosed with heart disease also fell and operations carried out by the NHS to treat heart disease increased.

However the separate statistics showed the prevalence of cancer increasing.

More people are giving up smoking

Around one in three Scots will get cancer during their lifetime.

Before the age of 65, one in eight men and one in seven women will be diagnosed with the disease.

The fall in deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD) and the drop in incidence of the disease were welcomed as a sign of long-running health messages starting to take effect.

CHD is one of the biggest killers in Scotland.

Fatty foods

Deputy health minister Mary Mulligan said: "It is encouraging that we are making progress in cutting the appalling devastation on Scottish families caused by premature death from heart disease.

"There are signs that we are taking on messages of stopping smoking, switching from fatty foods to a healthier diet and taking more exercise."

She also claimed the figures highlighted "good progress" was being made in reducing waiting times for bypass operations.

According to official NHS figures, deaths from CHD fell to 11,914 in 2001.

In 1993, the death toll was 16,925.

Between 1999 and 2000, incidence of the disease among men fell by 3.4% and by 6.2% in women.

There are signs that we are taking on messages of stopping smoking, switching from fatty foods to a healthier diet and taking more exercise.

Deputy health minister Mary Mulligan

Elsewhere, the figures also show the number of bypass and angioplasty operations increased from 5,117 in 2000-1 to 5,219 in 2001-2.

Average waiting times for bypass surgery fell between March 1999 and March 2002 from 152 days to 50 days.

Waiting times for angioplasty increased from 31 to 41 days in the same period.

Separate figures showed that about 1% of Scottish women are currently living with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Mrs Mulligan said: "The figures emphasise the sheer scale of the problems we face.

"We are determined to tackle these head-on both in improving treatment for cancer and heart disease and in a range of prevention programmes."