Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the world’s most lethal killers, claiming 17.3 million lives per year. This staggering statistic represents 30 percent of all global deaths per year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). By 2030, almost 23.6 million people will die from CVDs if comprehensive prevention and education programs are not implemented immediately. The leading causes of cardiovascular disease include poor lifestyle habits such as inadequate diet, smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation and elevated blood sugar levels that is commonly seen with diabetes. Many of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease cause problems because they affect the blood flow to the heart, brain and body. This phenomenon is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing and thickening of arteries that develops for years without one even kn...
Global citizen, crisis and risk communication expert, journalist, doctor, humanitarian award winner. The blog serves as a portfolio and does not reflect endorsement or affiliation.