The number of people with cardiovascular disease surged by 148% in South-East Asia over the past three decades, with the condition becoming the region’s leading cause of mortality and morbidity, according to new research.
A total 37 million people in the region suffered from cardiovascular disease in 2021 and 1.7 million died from it.
The findings by researchers at Seattle’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the National University of Singapore are based on analysis of data between 1990 and 2021 from the 10 nations that make up Asean.
The results, published this week in a special edition of The Lancet Public Health, highlight the growing burden of public health, including cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, smoking and road injuries.
The main reasons contributing to cardiovascular disease were high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, air pollution, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and tobacco use.
The region’s ageing population also contributes to the big jump in case numbers, according to Marie Ng, the study’s lead author.
“Without immediate action from each of the countries, these preventable health conditions will worsen causing more death and disability across Asean,” said Ng.
It’s worth noting that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the incidence of deaths due to cardiovascular disease rose more than predicted and a separate study from 2023 flagged the risk of increase in cardiovascular disease in children born to mothers infected with Covid during pregnancy. — Bloomberg
