A GLOBAL LOOK AT

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

RANKING OF CVD RISK FACTORS

Cardiovascular disease is a global problem, but risk factors vary from region to region due to differences in diet, lifestyle and environment.
REGION The graph plots the top 23 risk factors worldwide to identify where each region deviates from the global average RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTORS
GLOBAL AVERAGE 1 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 * 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
WESTERN
EUROPE
1 2 HIGH SODIUM

2 Low physical activity Household air pollution is a higher-than-average 3 HIGH BODY-MASS INDEX
CENTRAL AND
puts Western Europeans risk factor in Sub-Saharan Africa, but a lower risk
EASTERN EUROPE 3
4 LOW FRUIT INTAKE
17.3m
at high risk in Central and Eastern Europe
ASIA-PACIFIC 4
5 HIGH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL
5 people are estimated
MIDDLE EAST
Lead exposure, to have cardiovascular 6 SMOKING
AND NORTH 6
AFRICA ranked as a high disease worldwide
7 HIGH FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE
7 risk factor in Source:
SUB-SAHARAN High blood American Heart 8
8 Sub-Saharan Africa, AMBIENT PARTICULATE MATTER
AFRICA Association
pressure is has been linked to
9 universally the 9 LOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
LATIN AMERICA hypertension
AND CARIBBEAN 10 highest risk factor 10 LOW WHOLE GRAIN INTAKE
and affects 970
NORTH 11 million people 11 LOW VEGETABLE INTAKE
AMERICA
worldwide High levels of processed
RANKING

12 12 HOUSEHOLD AIR POLLUTION

meat intake are a cause for
13 concern in Western nations 13 LOW GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
High cholesterol as a risk factor
14
is ranked lower in Sub-Saharan 14 LOW NUTS AND SEEDS INTAKE
15 Africa than other regions
15 LOW OMEGA-3 INTAKE
16
Ambient particulate matter, 16 LOW FIBRE INTAKE
17
or air pollution, as a risk
18 17 LEAD EXPOSURE
factor is lower than average
19 in North America 18 ALCOHOL USE

20 19 LOW POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

21 20 HIGH PROCESSED MEAT

22
21 HIGH TRANS FAT
23
22 SECOND-HAND SMOKE
* No data available for North America and Western Europe Source: Global Burden of Disease Study, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 2015
23 HIGH SWEETENED BEVERAGES

NUMBER OF GLOBAL CVD-RELATED DEATHS 1990-2013 Change due

Percentage to population
Deaths in 2013 (m) Deaths in 1990 (m) change growth

ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE

5.74
8.14
+41.7% 23.6%
3.27
ISCHEMIC STROKE
2.18 +50.2% 21.6%
3.17
HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE
2.4 +30.7% 26.8%
1.07
HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE
0.62 +74.1% 29.5%
CARDIOMYOPATHY AND MYOCARDITIS 0.44
0.29 +51.4% 27.4%
RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE 0.28
0.37 -26.5% 31.8%
AORTIC ANEURYSM 0.15
0.1 +52.1% 34.5%
0.11
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND FLUTTER
0.02 +288.1% 35.4%
ENDOCARDITIS 0.06
0.04 +46.3% 42.2%
0.04
PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE
0.01 +155.3% 53.7%

Source: Global Burden of Disease Study, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 2015

HEART DISEASE WORLDWIDE

BRAZIL SOUTH AFRICA

CVD accounts for about 26 per
cent of total adult deaths. Around
one-fifth (18 per cent) of adults
are obese. Almost a fifth (17 per
cent) of the population smoke
tobacco.
More than 40 per cent of men CVD accounts for about 8 per cent plans to introduce a new tax on sugar-
and over 50 per cent of women of total adult deaths. Some 31.3 per sweetened drinks, coming into effect
get insufficient exercise. Some cent of adults are obese and 18 per in April 2017. In 2013, the government
8.8 per cent of women and cent of the population smoke tobacco. introduced legislation aimed at
7.4 per cent of men live with In February, South Africa became reducing salt intake to less than 5g a
diabetes. the first African country to announce day per person by 2020.

CHINA UNITED KINGDOM

CVD accounts for about 39 per
cent of total adult deaths. One
in five adults has a cardiovascular
disease, one of the highest CVD
death rates in the world. Some
28 per cent of adults and half
of all men smoke tobacco, while CVD accounts for about 28 cent) of adults smoke tobacco.
5.7 per cent of adults are obese. per cent of total adult deaths. The economic burden of CVD,
Cardiovascular events are projected Some 26.9 per cent of adults are including indirect costs from
to increase by 50 per cent among obese. An estimated 30 per cent premature death and disability, is
the population between 2010 and of children are overweight or estimated to be more than 15
2030. obese. More than a fifth (22 per billion each year.

INDIA UNITED STATES

CVD accounts for about 16 per
cent of total adult deaths. Some 15
per cent of the population smoke
tobacco. Some 21.1 per cent have
hypertension which can increase risk
of heart attack, heart failure, kidney
disease or stroke. India was the first CVD accounts for about 28 cent of adults do not participate in
country to develop specific national per cent of total adult deaths. any leisure-time physical activity.
targets and indicators aimed at About 69 per cent of adults are The number of overweight children
reducing the number of premature overweight or obese. Some 19 per has doubled and the number of
deaths from non-communicable cent of men and 15 per cent of overweight adolescents trebled
diseases by 25 per cent by 2025. women are smokers. Some 30 per since 1980.

MEXICO
CVD accounts for about 18 per cent
of total adult deaths. Some 32.1 per
cent of adults are obese and 17 per
cent of the population smoke tobacco.
In 2014, Mexico introduced a new tax
on sugar-sweetened drinks to combat
URUGUAY
obesity. In the first year, on average, CVD accounts for about 25 per was the first country in Latin
people purchased 6 per cent fewer cent of total adult deaths. A quarter America to ban smoking in enclosed
sugar-sweetened drinks than would (24.8 per cent) of adults are obese. public spaces. More than a third
have been expected. These changes A quarter (25 per cent) of the adult (35.1 per cent) have hypertension.
were most pronounced in households population smoke tobacco. Uruguay
with the lowest incomes.
Source: World Health Organization