Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally. An estimated 19.8 million people died from CVDs in 2022, representing approximately 32 percent of all global deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 85 percent of these deaths were due to heart attack and stroke, per WHO. Also read | Heart attacks in your 20s and 30s are rising: Cardiologist Dr BC Kalmath explains why young Indians are at risk
Event Context
Over three-quarters of CVD deaths reportedly take place in low and middle-income countries. Furthermore, out of the 18 million premature deaths (under the age of 70) due to noncommunicable diseases in 2021, at least 38 percent were caused by CVDs, per a July 31, 2025 WHO report.
Often, there are no symptoms of the underlying blood vessel disease. A heart attack or stroke may be the first sign of underlying disease.
Per WHO, these are the symptoms of a heart attack:
⦿ Pain or discomfort in the centre of the chest
⦿ Pain or discomfort in the arms, the left shoulder, elbows, jaw, or back
⦿ Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath
⦿ Nausea or vomiting
⦿ Light-headedness or faintness
⦿ Cold sweat and turning pale
⦿ Gender differences: Women are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Team Analysis
Per WHO, the most common symptom of a stroke is sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg, most often on one side of the body. Also read | Half of medically certified deaths in 2024 due to heart, lung diseases: ORGI data
Other symptoms include sudden onset of:
⦿ Numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
⦿ Confusion, difficulty speaking, or difficulty understanding speech
⦿ Difficulty seeing with one or both eyes
⦿ Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or loss of coordination
⦿ Severe headache with no known cause
⦿ Fainting or unconsciousness
People experiencing these symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease and rheumatic fever:
⦿ Rheumatic heart disease: shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, chest pain, and fainting.
⦿ Rheumatic fever: fever, pain and swelling of the joints, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.
As per WHO, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioural and environmental risk factors. Behavioural risk factors often show up in individuals as intermediate risk factors: raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, overweight, and obesity. Also read | ‘Your heart is begging you to stop these 15 habits’: Cardiologist Dr Sanjay Bhojraj shares simple lifestyle changes
Per WHO, these are the key lifestyle actions:
⦿ Cessation of tobacco use: stop all tobacco consumption to reduce CVD risk.
⦿ Reduction of salt in the diet: reduce salt intake to lower blood pressure and risk.
⦿ Eat more fruit and vegetables: increase your daily intake.
⦿ Regular physical activity: engage in regular physical activity.
⦿ Avoid harmful use of alcohol: eliminate or avoid harmful alcohol consumption.
Per WHO, these are the key clinical and health system actions:
⦿ Early detection: measure intermediate risk factors (blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids) in primary care settings to enable early detection and counselling.
⦿ Access to essential medicines: ensure access to basic medicines necessary to manage hypertension, diabetes, and high blood lipids, including aspirin, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics, statins
⦿ Surgical and medical interventions: provide surgical operations when required (coronary artery bypass, balloon angioplasty, valve repair and replacement, heart transplantation, artificial heart operations) and medical devices (pacemakers, prosthetic valves, patches for closing holes in the heart).
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
