WHO Quick facts about Cardiovascular
Diseases
Global
•
CVDs are the
number 1 cause of death globally. An estimated
17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, representing 31% of all global
deaths.
South-East Asia Region
•
Cardiovascular
diseases including coronary heart disease and stroke cause an estimated 3.7
million deaths or a quarter of all deaths annually in the Region (2.0 million
among males and 1.7 million among females)
•
38% of all
deaths due to cardiovascular diseases in the Region occur before the age of 70
years
What are cardiovascular diseases?
Cardiovascular diseases are a group of
disorders of the heart or blood vessels, and include mainly hypertensive heart disease,
ischaemic heart disease, rheumatic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease or
strokes.
What are the causes of cardiovascular diseases?
Tobacco use, an unhealthy diet,
physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol increase the risk of heart
attacks and strokes. These poor lifestyle choices can lead to metabolic risk
factors such as overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar
and high blood cholesterol. These become important, yet preventable risk
factors for heart attacks and strokes.
What are some typical symptoms of cardiovascular
diseases?
People may either experience symptoms
of underlying cardiovascular disease years before a heart attack or stroke, or
none at all. The most common symptoms are:
• Chest
pain or discomfort which may last for several minutes
• Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
• Tiredness and weakness
• Pounding or racing heartbeat.
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, legs or abdomen.
• Excessive sweating.
How are cardiovascular diseases diagnosed and
managed?
•
Depending on the disease
type, a combination of methods may be used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases.
These include auscultation, blood tests to determine the levels of blood fats
(lipids), particularly cholesterol and triglycerides, and electrocardiogram (ECG
or EKG), chest X-ray, exercise stress tests, imaging tests and
angiocardiography, among others. High-risk individuals and those with
established cardiovascular disease can be treated with regimens of low-cost
generic medicines that significantly reduce the likelihood of death or vascular
events. A regimen of aspirin, statin and blood pressure lowering agents could
significantly reduce heart attacks and strokes. Those with established
cardiovascular diseases may require surgical interventions.
Cardivascular Diseases Fact Sheet Cardiovascular diseases are
the largest killers —annually claiming 17.5 million lives globally (68% of all
deaths) and 3.7 million lives in SEAR
What can be done to prevent cardiovascular
disease?
•
Nearly 80% of
premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable. Primary prevention of
heart disease and stroke is achievable through no-/low-cost simple
interventions, such as physical activity, healthy diet, tobacco cessation and avoiding
harmful use of alcohol. For people aged 40–79 years and who are at high
cardiovascular risk, a regimen of aspirin, statin and blood pressure-lowering
agents taken on medical advice has been estimated to avert ignificant number of
premature deaths.
What individuals can do?
•
Do not use
tobacco products. If you are already using tobacco, quit immediately.
•
Eat more fruits
and vegetables and limit intake of salt, sugar and saturated fats.
•
Achieve and
maintain a healthy weight by engaging in regular physical activity (do at least
30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity everyday).
•
Avoid harmful use
of alcohol.
•
Prevent and
control high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
What communities can do?
•
Create and
maintain safe neighborhoods for physical activity and improve access to parks
and playgrounds.
•
Advocate for
quality physical education in schools and childcare facilities.
•
What the private
sector can do?
•
Voluntarily
reduce salt and saturated fat content in processed foods.
•
Eliminate
artificially produced transfats in the food supply chain.
•
Ensure that
healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers.
•
Avoid marketing
of foods high in saturated fats, transfats, free sugars or salt to children.
•
Promote healthy
food choices and support regular physical activity practice at the workplace.
What governments can do?
•
Create
large-scale public awareness about diet and physical activity through mass
media and other means.
•
Create policy
measures and ensure supportive environments that facilitate easy availability,
affordability, accessibility and desirability of health-promoting foods at the
grassroots level.
•
Enact legislation
to tax unhealthy foods and subsidize locally produced fruits and vegetables.
•
Ensure
cost-effective clinical interventions for early detection and reduction of risk
factors in individuals at high risk.
•
Implement
awareness about hypertension with a multi-sectoral approach including functionaries,
such as nongovernmental organizations, schools, media and health officials.
•
Enforce
regulations for control of tobacco use and ban its marketing and advertising.
•
Promote healthy
policies, such as for tobacco and alcohol control and enhancing healthy diets
and physical activity
References :
