NEW DELHI– Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remained the world’s top killer in 2023, responsible for one in every three deaths, according to new findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).
The study reported that global cardiovascular deaths surged to 19.2 million in 2023, up from 13.1 million in 1990. Researchers attributed the rise to population growth, ageing, and increasing exposure to risk factors such as obesity and diabetes.
Ischemic heart disease was the most common form, affecting an estimated 240 million people worldwide. Stroke remained a leading cause of both death and disability, while peripheral arterial disease impacted 122 million individuals. Men faced higher mortality rates than women across most regions, with risk climbing steeply after the age of 50.
Between 2018 and 2023, high body mass index (BMI) and elevated fasting plasma glucose were identified as the fastest-growing metabolic risks, reflecting global increases in obesity and diabetes.
“The finding that CVD burden is substantially greater outside of the most developed settings, even after accounting for differences in population age, remains among the most important messages of this analysis,” said Gregory A. Roth, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Washington. “Our analysis shows wide geographic differences in CVD burden that can’t be explained by income level alone. Given this kind of variation, our findings offer the opportunity to tailor local health policies to target the most relevant risks for specific populations.”
The report estimated the burden of 376 diseases in 204 countries from 1990 to 2023. Cardiovascular diseases not only led global mortality but also topped the list for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), with 437 million DALYs recorded in 2023 — a sharp increase from 320 million in 1990.
Crucially, nearly 80 percent of the global cardiovascular disease burden was linked to modifiable risk factors, ranging from high BMI and glucose levels to air pollution, lead exposure, and extreme temperatures. The analysis showed that modifiable risks accounted for 97.4 million more DALYs in 2023 than in 1990. (Source: IANS)
