2023-08-28 08:02:00
New Studies Reveal Huge Potential for Preventing Heart Attacks and Cardiovascular Diseases Worldwide
Two international studies have highlighted the massive potential for preventing heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases globally. The findings were published over the weekend, coinciding with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Annual Congress, currently taking place in Amsterdam.
One of the studies, conducted by German experts and published in the “New England Journal of Medicine,” revealed that more than half of all cardiovascular diseases worldwide can be directly attributed to five classic risk factors. These factors include overweight, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. The study was based on data from 1.5 million individuals across 34 countries.
According to the researchers, elevated blood pressure is the most significant factor contributing to the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes. The analysis also showed variations in the prevalence of risk factors across different global regions. Latin America had the highest obesity rates, while Europe had the highest rates of high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. Smoking was found to be a decisive risk factor in Latin America and Eastern Europe, while diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in North Africa and the Middle East.
“These results are of utmost importance if we want to strengthen prevention in this area. At the same time, around 45 percent of cardiovascular diseases worldwide are not explained by these risk factors and should motivate us and academic sponsors to further research efforts,” said Stefan Blankenberg, Medical Director of the University Heart and Vascular Center of the Hamburg University Hospital.
The second study, presented by Ramon Luengo Ferndadez from the University of Oxford, focused on the economic impact of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union (EU). The analysis estimated that cardiovascular diseases cost around 282 billion euros in 2021, which amounts to two percent of the EU-27’s gross national product. This cost is significantly higher than the entire EU budget allocated for science, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy.
Medical services for individuals with cardiovascular diseases accounted for 46 percent of all costs, followed by social services at nine percent. Indirect costs such as caregiving expenses and productivity losses due to illness and disability collectively made up 33 percent of the total costs. Productivity losses resulting from premature deaths due to cardiovascular diseases contributed to 12 percent of the total expenditure.
The findings from both studies emphasize the urgent need to invest in prevention programs to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases. Prevention efforts targeting the classic risk factors can potentially avoid more than half of all heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, addressing these diseases can alleviate the significant economic impact they impose on countries.
These new insights will undoubtedly inform discussions and initiatives during the ESC Annual Congress, where experts from around the world are coming together to share knowledge and strategies to combat cardiovascular diseases.]
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