The Atlas of heart disease and stroke.

• Author: Reinhardt, Erika
• Position: HealthWatch

Cardiovascular disease now ranks as the leading cause of death, resulting in one third of all deaths globally. The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in conjunction with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was launched on 26 September 2004 to coincide with the fifth annual World Heart Day, a major driving force for encouraging heart disease and stroke prevention worldwide. The report shows that heart disease and stroke are also becoming more deadly, with a projected combined death toll of 24 million by 2030. Both kill 17 million persons every year and are increasingly likely to afflict those in poor countries, WHO said.

Young people are increasingly adopting unhealthy lifestyles. Obesity, poor diets, smoking and physical inactivity--the leading causes of heart disease and stroke--are now being seen at an alarmingly early age. With children, adolescents and heart disease being the focus of the 2004 World Heart Day, WHO said that the young should be encouraged as early as possible to lead a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, before they can develop any serious problems.

Dr. Judith Mackay, co-author of the Atlas with Dr. George Mensah of CDC, said: "No matter what advances there are in high-technology medicine, the fundamental message is that any major reduction in deaths and disability from heart disease and stroke will come primarily from prevention, not just cure. This must involve robust reduction of risk factors through encouraging our children to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and by introducing appropriate policies and intervention programmes."

According to Dr. Robert Beaglehole, Director of the WHO Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, 80 per cent of the burden is in low- and middle-income countries, and heart disease and stroke not only take lives but also cause an enormous economic burden. He also stressed that the Atlas should be a significant new resource for global advocacy and education activity. It provides data for each country through maps, photographs and images, and provides risk-factor statistics for the occurrence of high blood pressure, tobacco use, physical inactivity, obesity, lipids and diabetes. Health policies and laws are also explained. The diverse elements of this global epidemic, including risk factors, similarities and differences between countries, the economic burden, prevention, policies and legislation, treatment and predictions, are chronicled. The report also contains a world data table with statistics for each country, as well as the number of healthy life years lost to heart disease and stroke, the prevalence of smoking and the status of policies and legislation.

"While heart disease and stroke are eminently preventable...