The report is also available to download in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian) and Mandarin—see the Multimedia tab
Why read this report
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s leading killer. It accounted for 30% of deaths around the globe in 2010 at an estimated total economic cost of over US$850bn
- The common feature of the disease across the world is its disproportionate impact on individuals from lower socio-economic groups
- Prevention could greatly reduce the spread of CVD: reduced smoking rates, improved diets and other primary prevention efforts are responsible for at least half of the reduction in CVD in developed countries in recent decades…
- …but prevention is little used. Governments devote only a small proportion of health spending to prevention of diseases of any kind—typically 3% in developed countries
- Population-wide measures like smoking bans and “fat taxes” yield significant results but require political adeptness to succeed. There is no shortcut for the slow work of changing hearts and minds
- The size of the CVD epidemic is such that a doctor-centred health system will not be able to cope. Innovative ways for nurses and non-medical personnel to provide preventative services are needed
- A growing number of stakeholders are involved in CVD prevention, sharing the burden with governments. Now, greater collaboration across different sectors and interest groups should be encouraged
- Collaboration works when incentives of stakeholders are aligned, including business. Finland’s famed North Karelia project suggests better alignment of interests is crucial to a successful “multi-sectoral” approach
Cardiovascular disease is the dominant epidemic of the 21st century. Dr Srinath Reddy, president of the World Heart Federation
We know a lot about what needs to be done, it just doesn’t get done. Beatriz Champagne, executive director of the InterAmerican Heart Foundation
Action at the country level will decide the future of the cardiovascular epidemic. Dr Shanthi Mendis, director ad interim, management of non-communicable diseases, WHO
Infographic
Contributors
- Author
- Paul Kielstra
- Editor
- James Chambers
- Interviewed for this report:
- Dr Kingsley Akinroye, former president, African Heart Network; incoming vice-president, World Heart Federation
- Ms Beatriz Champagne, executive director, Inter-American Heart Foundation
- Dr Douglas B. Clement, chair, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Dr Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart and physician-in-chief at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York
- Dr Stephan Gielen, president, European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ESCARDIO)
- Dr Lutz Herbarth, leader, individual health management, KKH Allianz Insurance
- Dr Lixin Jiang, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing
- Ms Susanne Løgstrup, director, European Heart Network
- Dr Shanthi Mendis, director ad interim, management of non-communicable diseases, World Health Organization (WHO)
- Dr James Morrow, general practitioner, UK
- Professor Joep Perk, chair, cardiovascular prevention implementation committee, ESCARDIO
- Dr Pekka Puska, director general, Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare
- Dr Mike Rayner, director, British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group
- Dr Srinath Reddy, president, World Heart Federation
- Professor Walter Ricciardi, president of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA)
- Dr Catherine Sykes, researcher, health psychology, City University, London
- Dr Janet Wright, executive director, Million Hearts
- Professor Salim Yusuf, director, Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
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