A report based on data compiled between 1990 to 2023 across 204 countries found that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the most common cause of death among humans. Heart conditions are behind one in every three deaths on the planet.
The finding comes from the Global Burden of Disease study, which assesses the damage and risk factors to health from major diseases, and operates out of the University of Washington. It sees collaboration between thousands of researchers from around the world as they make sense of data on 376 diseases.
We've known about heart disease being the most lethal of the lot for a while now. What's troubling is that CVD deaths have risen globally in the last couple of decades, from 13.1 million in 1990 to 19.2 million in 2023.
CVDs also topped the roster for disability-adjusted life years (DALY) – years of healthy life lost to premature death and disability. Also, men had higher CVD-related mortality rates than women in most regions.
Sorry for all the doom and gloom – but it's not all bad, as these numbers can actually help us fight CVDs and save millions of lives.
"By targeting 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," explained Gregory A. Roth, senior author of the paper, and Director of the program at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. "Each country can find reliable evidence and a kind of policy prescription for better cardiovascular health in our results."
Remember those DALYs from a couple of paragraphs ago? It turns out that nearly 80% of these DALYs were attributable to risk factors we have some control over and can prevent (as opposed to being genetic or otherwise unavoidable). Those factors include obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol – all of which can be managed and maintained within safe ranges with the right measures.
Hopefully, this report will spur government health agencies worldwide to prioritize heart health, and support people as they make changes to their lifestyles to reduce the risk of CVDs in the coming years. You can find the full study here.
