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World Health Organisation on cardiovascular disease: facts and recommendations

Recently, the world has been repeatedly shocked by news about the death of modern idols, film and show business stars. Often the cause of tragedy is a heart attack, which, it would seem, did not foreshadow anything, because, according to the celebrities' entourage, there were absolutely no complaints about the heart.

In the light of such events, the problem of cardiovascular diseases is more urgent than ever: many people wonder "is there no way to avoid such a tragedy?!".

In our article, we would like to cover this topic in detail from the perspective of the World Health Organisation and inform as many people as possible about what to do to minimise the risk of developing serious cardiovascular disease.

Key facts

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide: for no other cause do as many people die each year as from CVD.
An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, accounting for 31 per cent of all deaths worldwide. Of this number, 7.4 million died from coronary heart disease and 6.7 million from stroke.
Of the 16 million deaths from non-communicable diseases before the age of 70, 82 per cent occurred in low- and middle-income countries and 37 per cent were caused by CVDs.
Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol through population-wide strategies.
People with or at high risk of CVDs (due to the presence of one or more risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, or pre-existing disease) need early detection and assistance through counselling and, if necessary, medication.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of diseases of the heart and blood vessels that include:

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD)-a disease of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle
Cerebral vascular disease - a disease of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain.
Peripheral artery disease - disease of the blood vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs;
Rheumocarditis - damage to the heart muscle and heart valves as a result of a rheumatic attack caused by streptococcal bacteria;
Congenital heart defect - deformities of the heart structure existing from birth;
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism - the formation of blood clots in the leg veins that can shift and travel to the heart and lungs.

Infarctions and strokes are usually acute illnesses and occur mainly as a result of blockages in blood vessels that prevent the flow of blood to the heart or brain. The most common cause is the build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart or brain. Bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain or blood clots can also be a cause of stroke. Myocardial infarction and stroke are usually caused by a combination of risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol, high blood pressure, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia.

What are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

The main risk factors for heart disease and stroke are:

improper nutrition
physical inactivity
tobacco use
alcoholism

Other determinants for CVDs are: stress and hereditary factors.

The effects of behavioural risk factors on an individual can manifest as:

increase in blood pressure
increased blood glucose levels
increased blood lipid levels
overweight and obesity

What should I do to reduce my risk of developing cardiovascular disease?

Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt intake, consumption of fruit and vegetables, regular physical activity and avoidance of harmful alcohol use have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, drug therapy may be necessary to reduce the risk of CVD and prevent heart attack and stroke if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated lipid levels.

Screening examinations are one of the key factors contributing to the detection of CVDs at different stages and motivating active treatment and prevention. CVD screening includes:

Cardiogram
Cardiac ultrasound (ECHO-CG)
Laboratory diagnostics

Special attention is paid to laboratory diagnostics, as it is the laboratory diagnostics that can provide an objective assessment of the condition of blood vessels and the heart. OLYMP CDL specialists have developed a diagnostic profile "CARDIORISK", which is divided into 3 subtypes: "standard", "complete" and "advanced".

"Standard" is recommended for patients between 35 and 45 years of age who have no obvious heart problems

"Complete" is suitable for the under-45 age group with symptoms of CVD, as well as for patients over 45 years of age

"Advanced" has maximum informative power and is suitable for any patient with heart complaints

Attention! Only from 19 to 31 May the specified profiles will be discounted up to 50% in all treatment rooms of the OLYMP CDL branches!

In conclusion, it is worth saying that the health of our heart is only in our hands. It is only in our interest and power to preserve it for as long as possible, and all the necessary conditions for this have already been created!

This material is based on WHO Fact Sheet No. 317 dated January 2015