Heart disease responsible for one in every three deaths worldwide as death toll reaches 18million a year
Experts warn the disease is a real threat to global health
ONE death in every three worldwide is now from heart disease, a study reveals.
The toll has hit 18million a year as people in poorer countries increasingly fall prey to the planet’s biggest killer.
The only region still exempt from the trend is sub-Saharan Africa, say US researchers.
One of Europe's leading cardiologists says combating lack of exercise and poor diets amongst the young is key to tackling the crisis.
Dr Gregory Roth of Seattle’s Washington University, warned: “It’s an alarming threat to global health.”
"Trends in CVD mortality are no longer declining for high-income regions and low-and middle-income countries are also seeing more CVD-related deaths."
From 1990 to 2010, death rates from cardiovascular disease - which also includes stroke - dropped globally once adjusted for age. This allows national populations to be compared where age profiles differ.
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Dr Roth said: "High levels of cardiovascular disease are seen throughout the world, both in high-income countries and those with more limited access to effective and inexpensive treatments.
"Risk factors for CVD, like high blood pressure, poor diet, high cholesterol, tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol use, and obesity, are common throughout most of the world.";
In 1990, there were about 393 deaths for every 100,000 people from CVD globally. That fell to 307 deaths per 100,000 in 2010, and, over the next five years, decreased only slightly, to 286 deaths per 100,000.
Dr Roth and colleagues examined every country over the past 25 years using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.
Countries with the greatest number of CVD deaths based on population size are found throughout Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania.
As well as Western Europe, falls have levelled off in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
Dr Roth said the findings present opportunities for public health officials on the local, national, and international levels to share successful strategies for addressing these risk factors.
He said: "The population health community realises CVD is a global problem. Now we need to find innovative ways to deliver our low-cost, effective treatments to the hundreds of millions of people who can't access them."