Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for approximately 17.9 million deaths worldwide each year, making them the leading cause of death. CVDs encompass various heart and blood vessel disorders, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and others. The majority of CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one-third of these deaths occur in individuals under the age of 70.
The primary behavioral risk factors for heart disease and stroke are physical inactivity, tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, and an unhealthy diet. These risk factors may lead to increased blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, overweight, and obesity, which are considered intermediate risk factors for complications such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
Engaging in healthy behaviors such as cessation of tobacco use, reducing salt intake, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding harmful alcohol use can help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Creating supportive environments that encourage and facilitate healthy choices is also necessary for motivating individuals to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors.
Identifying individuals at high risk for CVDs and providing them with appropriate treatment can prevent premature deaths. Ensuring access to noncommunicable disease medications and basic healthcare technologies at primary healthcare facilities is critical to guarantee that those in need receive treatment and counseling.
Symptoms
Heart attack or stroke can often occur without any prior symptoms of underlying blood vessel disease. The symptoms of a heart attack typically include discomfort or pain in the centre of the chest, as well as pain or discomfort in the arms, left shoulder, elbows, jaw or back. Other symptoms can include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, light-headedness, faintness, a cold sweat, and pallor. Women may experience additional symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
A stroke usually manifests with sudden weakness in the face, arm, or leg, typically on one side of the body. Other symptoms may include sudden numbness in the face, arm, or leg, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, difficulty seeing with one or both eyes, difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, severe headache without a known cause, fainting or loss of consciousness. People experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease may include shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, chest pain, and fainting. Symptoms of rheumatic fever, which can lead to rheumatic heart disease if left untreated, include fever, joint pain and swelling, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.
Treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO) assists governments in preventing, managing, and monitoring CVDs by creating global strategies that aim to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of these diseases. These strategies focus on reducing risk factors, establishing standards of care, enhancing the capacity of health systems to manage CVD patients, and monitoring disease patterns and trends to inform both national and global actions.
CVD risk factors include unhealthy behaviors such as tobacco use, a poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and insufficient physical activity. Additionally, physiological factors such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and high blood sugar or glucose are linked to underlying social determinants and drivers like ageing, income, and urbanization.
