The global death count from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) increased from 12.4 million in 1990 to 19.8 million in 2022, reflecting the growth and aging of the global population and the contributions of metabolic, environmental and behavioral risks preventable, according to the latest edition of the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) special report published in JACC .
The report provides an update of health estimates for the global, regional and national burden and trends of cardiovascular diseases between 1990 and 2022 by analyzing the impact of cardiovascular conditions and risk factors in 21 regions of the world. Specifically addresses 18 cardiovascular conditions and provides estimates of mortality and disability-adjusted life years in relation to 15 major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including air pollution, household air pollution, lead exposure, temperature low, high temperature, systolic blood pressure, LDL-C, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, kidney dysfunction, diet, smoking, secondhand smoke, alcohol consumption and physical activity.
"We formed the Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease Collaboration three years ago to help bring cutting-edge research to the forefront of the global cardiovascular community," said Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, MACC, author of the paper and editor-in-chief of JACC. . "We are excited to publish this 2023 Almanac as an exclusive issue of the Journal to inform the realities of CVD risk and inspire strategies for a heart-healthy world."
Key findings from the report include:
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The report’s findings highlight the urgent need for global action to establish public health strategies, disseminate information and implement health programs in countries around the world, especially those in hard-to-reach areas of the world.
"Extreme geographic variation...indicates the need for increased research to leverage insights from low-burden regions to inform actions in high-burden locations," the report states.
Early intervention programs are also key, with the authors noting that approximately 34% of cardiovascular disease deaths in 2022 alone occurred before age 70. These deaths underscore that "cardiovascular disease is not a necessary feature of human aging, but almost entirely the result of a modifiable risk," the authors write.
"We know what risk factors we need to identify and treat," says Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH, FACC, senior author of the paper and associate professor in the Division of Cardiology and director of the Cardiovascular Health Metrics Program at the Institute for Measurement and Health. Health Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. "There are many affordable and effective treatments. There are simple healthy options that people can take to improve their health. This atlas provides detailed information on where countries are in their efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases."
Launched in 2020, the Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease Collaboration is a partnership between the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, IHME, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The 2023 publication, which serves as an update to the 2022 GBD study, includes data from 204 countries and territories, highlighting the main global modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, their contribution to the burden of disease, and recent advances in prevention.
"Identifying sustainable ways to work with communities to take steps to prevent and control modifiable risk factors for heart disease is essential to reducing the global burden of heart disease," said George A. Mensah, MD, FACC, director of the Center for Heart Disease. Research in Implementation Sciences at the NHLBI.
