2.3 Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in the world. CVD is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels.

Open the link below in a new window and watch the video on cardiovascular disease, the patterns, causes and consequences.

The global burden of cardiovascular disease [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]

This video highlights:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world's biggest killer. 30% of global deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases. 
• CVD was responsible for 17.3 million deaths in 2008; by 2030 23.3 million deaths will be related to CVD. And it will remain the number one cause of death and disability worldwide.

You will have noted the different kinds of CVD and that there are important questions about their prevention and treatment. 

The video also introduced the ‘Global Burden of Disease’, the social and economic implications of people dying prematurely or suffering from various diseases and disability. We will explore this concept in more detail in the next section.