Cardiovascular diseases cause 1 in 3 deaths

The cardiovascular diseases (ECV) remain the main cause of disease burdencausing one in three deaths throughout the world, as a result of population growth and agingand exposure to a wide range of risks, including rising rates of obesity and diabetes.

This is revealed by the latest special report of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) published by the University of Washington (United States) in the journal JACCfrom the American College of Cardiology.

“The finding that the burden of CVD is substantially greater outside of more developed environmentseven after considering differences in the age of the population, remains one of the most important messages of this analysis,” said Dr. Gregory A. Rothsenior author of the paper, professor in the Division of Cardiology and director of the Cardiovascular Health Metrics Program at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Worrying figures

The report updates estimates of 376 diseases between 1990 and 2023 in 204 countries. Among his conclusions:

• In 2023, CVDs caused 19.2 million deathscompared to 13.1 million in 1990.
• They registered 437 million disability-adjusted life years (DALY) per CVD, an increase compared to 320 million in 1990.
• 79.6% of these DALYs were attributed to modifiable risk factorssuch as overweight, pollution and smoking.
• The main cardiovascular causes of DALYs were ischemic heart diseasethe intracerebral hemorrhagehe ischemic stroke and the hypertensive heart disease.
• The ischemic heart disease It affected 240 million people, while peripheral arterial disease reached 122 million. Stroke continues to be one of the main causes of disability and death.

Risk factors

The metabolic factors were those that contributed the most to the burden of cardiovascular disease (67.3%), followed by behavioral (44.9%) and environmental/labor (35.8%). Among the most relevant are:

• high blood pressurethe main cause of risk in 2023.
• Unhealthy diet.
• air pollutionwhich caused almost 4 million cardiovascular deaths in 2023.
• Lead Exposuresignificant risk in parts of Central Asia and North Africa.
• High LDL cholesterol and kidney dysfunction.
• Smoking, alcohol and sedentary lifestylewhich continue to contribute significantly to ischemic heart disease and atrial fibrillation.

Instead, the reducing tobacco consumption and exposure to pollution in homes has partially offset the increase in global burden.

A problem that grows with age

The study highlights that men have higher cardiovascular mortality rates than women in most regions. Furthermore, the risk increases considerably after 50 years.

The researchers highlight that the obesity and the diabetes —rapidly growing metabolic contributors between 2018 and 2023—reflect global trends that require urgent attention.

A call to action

“This research provides countries with a clear view of where progress is being made and where urgent action is needed“says Roth.

The professor considers that his study works as a true “policy prescription for better cardiovascular health“. In their words: “By addressing the most important and preventable risks, with effective policies and proven, cost-effective treatments, we can work to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases. “Our findings offer the opportunity to adapt local health policies to address the risks most relevant to specific populations.”

The report was presented at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80), in an event titled The global burden of CVD: new insights to drive progress. There, experts from JACC and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) highlighted the urgent need to prioritize cardiovascular health on the world agenda.